School of Hospitality & Culinary Arts
Co-operative Education Fact Sheet
What is Co-operative Education?
Co-operative Education is an employer/student/college partnership that formally integrates a student's academic
studies with paid related work experience. It is a proven training system that provides opportunities for students to
apply college learning and enhance their skill set.
Why should I hire a Co-operative Education student?
Our students are motivated, enthusiastic, and well trained. They are young men and women with a positive attitude, a
strong work ethic and potential for advancement to positions of responsibility.
What kinds of courses have students taken?
In the first year of the Hospitality & Tourism Management program, students complete courses in Bartending,
Restaurant Service, Introduction to Tourism, Front Office, Meetings & Conventions, Customer Service, Serving It
Safe, as well as general business courses such as Accounting, Communication, Hospitality Computer Applications
and Human Behaviour. Students then major in either Hotel & Restaurant Management or Tourism Management
in their second year. (However, only the HRM major is available at this time pending the outcome of the TM program
review.)
The Hotel & Restaurant Management majors complete courses in Restaurant Service,
Inventory Management, Restaurant Design & Layout, Menu Development, Basic Food
Preparation, Wine, Level 1 Certified Food Handler Training, Rooms Management,
WHMIS, Marketing Public Relations & Advertising, Sales & Catering and other related
business courses.
The Tourism Management majors complete courses
in Interpretation & Tour Guiding, Tour Development,
Attractions, Tourism Research & Marketing,
Ecotourism, Selling Tourism, Special Events
Management, Human Resource Management, among
others.
Culinary Arts students complete courses in Garde Manger, Basic Food
Preparation, Charcuterie & Buffets, Nutrition, Kitchen Design & Layout, Restaurant
Cooking, Patisserie, Menu Development, Inventory Management, and Advanced
Culinary Skills, Human Resource Management, and others.
Students enrolled in the Professional Baking and Pâtisserie program
complete courses in Yeast Goods & Artisan Breads, Quick-Breads &
Cookies, Pastries, Cakes & Dessert, Inventory Management, Nutrition,
Communication, Computer Applications, and Bakery Management.
Culinary Arts and Professional Baking students will have also completed
training in WHMIS, Fire Safety and the Level 1 Certified Food Handler
training Program.
For more program information, follow this link: http://me.rrc.mb.ca/Catalogue/
Do these students have any previous industry-related work experience?
All of our second year students have had industry related experience, since they are required to complete a 16- week
co-operative education work term during their first year of study. Our first year students have varying levels of
previous work experience, depending on their personal experience prior to entering our program.
When will students be available for employment?
As of 2013, there is a Co-operative Education term every winter (January), spring/summer (May) and fall
(August/September).
How do I become a Co-operative Education employer?
To become a Co-operative Education employer you should:

Determine that you have relevant employment to offer a student in a co-operative education program.

Contact the co-operative education coordinator.

Complete a job offer form for the position or use RRC’s Job Central to post jobs.

Evaluate the résumés provided to you by the co-operative education coordinator.

Interview the students that meet your employment criteria.

Select the best candidate for your needs.
Once I have hired a student, is there anything else that I would be required to do?
As a Co-operative Education Employer you will be required to:

Train the student to be a productive employee at a position or a variety of positions

Provide a minimum of 400 hours over the work term

Pay the student at least minimum wage

Provide the student with constructive feedback regarding his/her performance throughout the work term

Evaluate the student’s performance at the end of the term by filling out an evaluation form provided by the
College
What are the responsibilities of the Co-operative Education student?
The Co-operative Education Student is required to:

Be a positive, dependable, productive, responsible team member

Be accountable to the management as a regular staff member

Demonstrate initiative, enthusiasm and a desire to learn

Complete the work term and work term assignments to the satisfaction of his/her employer and the
Hospitality School.
Are there any wage incentive programs available to Co-operative Education Employers?
Co-operative Education employers are eligible to apply for the following government programs:
The Co-operative Education Tax Credit (CETC)
A 10 per cent tax credit of up to $1,000 per student is available to employers who provide work placements for
co-op education students. For further information contact the Council on Post-Secondary Education (COPSE) at:
Tel: (204) 945-0746
Website: www.copse.mb.ca
Career Focus
A wage incentive of $3.00 per hour up to a maximum of 360 hours plus $100 in support of training cost per
position. Questions may be directed to: 204-945-3557 or you may go to:
http://www.gov.mb.ca/cyo/youth/employers/careerfocus.html
Who should I contact for more information about the Hospitality School’s Co-operative Education
programs?
Contacts:
Trevor Bailey
Co-op Coordinator
Tel: (204) 632-2465
Email: tgbailey@rrc..ca
Krista Mask
Catalina Garcia
Co-op Coordinator
Tel: (204) 632-2572
Email: kmask@rrc.ca
Educational Assistant
Tel: (204) 632-2362
E-mail: cgarcia@rrc.ca
October 2013