Cooperative education (“Co-op”) is an element of Career Vocational Technical Education in Massachusetts. It provides a unique opportunity for students to be employed in their fields of study while still in high school, learning on the job. Students may become eligible as early as their junior year. Co-op employment is always in the student’s vocational major, enhancing and expanding the student’s understanding of the field. By the time students are eligible for co-op, they have had several years of training in the occupations for which they may be placed.

• Student employees come with skills, since they have training in trade-specific areas.
• Student employees have already earned 10 hour OSHA card or equivalent safety certification, and are ready to work safely.
• Employers can train flexible young employees in the company’s particular methods.
• Co-op is a cost-effective method of employee recruitment, giving participating employers a first chance at hiring rising talent.
• Employers can support and improve vocational technical training for future employees.

• Students must be 16 (only the child labor laws relating to 16 and 17 year olds apply.)
• Junior year students may start co-op in the 4th quarter of their academic year, and seniors may start throughout the year
• Students must show consistent attendance during the junior year, and no more than 3 days absent in the 4th quarter
• Grade requirements: a minimum of a B minus average in the student’s vocational technical program for the 4th quarter of the junior year and the final grade for the junior year.
• Generally, students who are eligible for this program have demonstrated strong attendance, punctuality and achievement. They are mature and are ready to perform well in the workplace.

• The Co-op program at Madison Park operates in the context of its alternate week schedule, in which one week is an “academic” week of instruction, and the other week is the “vocational-technical” week of instruction.
• All students at Madison Park remain in school during the academic week. During the alternating vocational-technical week, Co-op students go to their co-op job placement, instead of working in their shop or lab.
• Number of Hours: Since Co-op substitutes for the vocational instruction week, it is expected to offer at least the equivalent number of hours, i.e. a minimum of 6 hours per Co-op day for 5 days of a Co-op week, resulting in at least a 30-hour work week for Co-op students. The minimum number of weeks is 6.
• Start-up: Co-op placements for juniors typically begin in March (but can start as late as late April), and run through the end of the school year (or summer). Co-ops for seniors typically begin in October and last until graduation. However, the Co-op contract can be ended at any time with reasonable notice
• Wages: There is no set wage or pay scale for Co-op students other than they must receive at least minimum wage. If one looks at the statewide Co-op placement data it is quite typical to see Co-op students earning substantially above minimum wage.
• Financial incentives: Student wage payments are tax deductible to employers, but otherwise there are no additional financial incentives associated with student Co-op employment. Employers also save on training costs if they hire students as employees.
• Liability: Co-op students are employees on payroll, and as a result are covered by their employer’s workers compensation insurance policy as hourly wage employees.
• CORI: CORI checks of supervisors are required by state law in order to ensure that co-op students are placed in safe learning environments.

Employer expectations:
• Enter a co-op contract that spells out expectations for the student on the job.
• Ensure a safe workplace and comply with relevant laws re wages and hours
• Ensure timely payment of wages
• Prepare a weekly timecard at the conclusion of every Co-op week.
The student must have this timecard when he or she returns to school each week.
• Assign duties and provide on-site supervision
• Complete a competency evaluation form, assessing the student’s progress for grading purposes
• Maintain a folder or file that contains the student application, the Co-op agreement, and the weekly timecards.

• The Co-op coordinator at Madison Park High School is responsible for facilitating the paperwork for this program to initiate the placement, as well as to monitor the student placement during the course of the school year.
• The employer can expect check-ins at the job site by the Coop Coordinator. She will serve as a contact for troubleshooting any issues such as attendance, tardiness, work ethic, job performance issues, etc.
• The Co-op coordinator should be notified when a student is absent from work, is being terminated or if the student initiates termination of placement, or if there are any other issues or concerns about the student’s performance.
• It is recommended that the employer representative interview the student prior to the beginning of the coop placement.

There are specific aspects of state and federal child labor laws that are relevant to students enrolled in Massachusetts chapter 74 approved vocational and technical education programs. The Co-op coordinator will provide details about those legal requirements, which primarily address legal working hours, as well as a detailed checklist of prohibited jobs for minors. The Co-op coordinator will support employer compliance with all requirements.

Note that, since students must be 16 years of age to participate in Co-op, the laws relating to 14 and 15 year olds are inapplicable, and only the labor laws relating to 16 and 17 year olds apply.)

Generally, under Massachusetts state law, all teens under 18 must obtain a work permit from the school district where they live or go to school in order to work. [Note that since students must have turned age 16 to be allowed to participate in co-op, the laws relating to students aged 14 and 15 are not applicable to them.]
In place of the standard work permit, a special cooperative education employment permit must be obtained by the minors who will be employed in cooperative education, also issued by the Superintendent of the school district where the minor is enrolled in a chapter 74 program.