Career development at Gonzaga is a collaborative effort of students, parents, educators, employers, labour and avariety of community groups and organizations.

Our common goals are:

• Decision Making Skills - to graduate our students with the skills, attitudes, and behaviours they need to repeatedly make good career decisions throughout life,
• Effective Transitions - and to prepare our students with the knowledge and insights necessary to make effective transitions to educational, employment, and/or apprenticeship opportunities.
• Effective Transitions - and to prepare our students with the knowledge and insights necessary to make effective transitions to educational, employment, and/or apprenticeship opportunities.

Each of these goals are addressed in our school’s Student Transition to Educational/EmploymentProgram (STEP).

STEP provides students with opportunities to participatein co-op education programs that are linked to their personal interests and abilities. Students may choose from six different STEP Co-op options that are broken into two categories:

1. Post Secondary Education Options
   STEP Co-op@ Memorial University
   STEP Co-op@ College of the North Atlantic
   STEP Co-op@ Private Training Institution
2. Work Placement Learning Options
   STEP Co-op@ Career Exploration Placement
   STEP Co-op@ Apprenticeship Placement
   STEP Co-op@ Employment Placement

Co-op education, both at the high school and/or at the post secondary level, provides students with enriched learning opportunities while gaining practical on-the-job experiences in occupational areas of personal interest.

Co-op students choose their work placements basedupon their personal attributes and career aspirations. The duration of students’ co-op work placements will vary with individual circumstances.

During the semester in which co-op education is taking place, students complete their academic courses in the mornings and participate in their co-operative education courses in the afternoons.

Students receive one high school academic credit forevery fifty-five (55) hours of on-the-job learning experience documented at their co-op work placements. Most students obtain 110 credit hours or more.

Students also complete an in-school course, Co-op Ed.1100, which prepares them to maximize their on-the-joblearning and integrates their experiences with in-school curriculum objectives.

Students hoping to participate in a co-op education program must choose their high school coursescarefully. Students need to ensure they can meet all their graduation and post secondary requirements and have sufficient one credit courses still available to accommodate a co-op education program. One credit courses should be completed during the same year in which students plan to participate in a co-op education program.

In addition to choosing co-op courses during our school’s course selection process, students must also complete a STEP Co-op application form. STEP Co-op@Memorial University is the only co-op programoption that requires students to have obtained an 85% average during Level II in order to apply.

Students hoping to participate in any of the other five co-op program options are not required to have obtained aminimum average in order to apply. Students’ academic reports, teacher references, and personal interests and aptitudes are reviewed on an individual basis. Students should keep in mind that seats in co-op education are limited and that all of these factors are important.

Students who complete a Post Secondary Education Option under the STEP Co-op must be in Level III, complete a post secondary level course, and participate in a work placement of at least fifty-five hours.

STEP Co-op@Memorial University

During Level III, students register at Memorial University. They complete a course at the university that may be of personal interest to them and/or related to their career development plans. Students also complete a co-operative education work placement at the university and/or in the community.

Credits:
Level III: Co-op Ed. 1100, STEP Co-op 3220/2122
University: Course Credit

STEP Co-op@College of the North Atlantic

During Level III, these students register at the College of the North Atlantic. They complete a course at the College that may be of personal interest to them and/or related to their career development plans. Students also complete a co-operative education work placement at the College and/or in the community.

Credits:
Co-op Ed. 1100, STEP Co-op 3220/2122
College: Course Credit

STEP Co-op@Private Training Institution

During Level III, students register at a Private Training Institution(PTI). They complete a course at the institution that may be of personal interest to them and/or related to their career development plans. Students also complete a co-operative education work placement at the institution and/or in the community.

Credits:
Level III: Co-op Ed. 1100, STEP Co-op 3220/2122
PTI: Course Credit

Students who participate in a Work Placement Learning Option under the STEP Co-op may be in Level II or Level III, do not register in a post secondary level course. Students participate in a work placement(s) of at least fifty-five hours.

These Work Placement Learning Options may also be completed in conjunction with the Post Secondary Education Options available to Level III students only.

STEP Co-op@ Career Exploration Placement provides opportunities for students, before finalizing their career plans, to obtain practical on-the-job experiences throughout a semester while exploring occupational areas of personal interest.

Almost any type of business or community organization can provide a valuable co-operative education work placement for students.

Every effort is made to match students’ interests and personal attributes with related work placements in the community.

Credits:
Level II: Co-op Ed. 1100, STEP Co-op 1120/2220
Level III: Co-op Ed. 1100, STEP Co-op 3220/2122

STEP Co-op@ Apprenticeship Placement is designed for students who have an interest in exploring any of the forty-seven (47) skilled trade areas available throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.

Students during Level II participate in work placements that provide trade related experiences. These students will also have the opportunity in Level III to complete another trade related work placement. This final placement may provide a more in depth experience with the same employer or students may choose a different trade area to explore. Students, through their trade related work placements, will be able to further develop their personal networks while obtaining practical on-the-job experiences related to their apprenticeship areas of interest.

Students may complete the STEP Co-op@ Apprenticeship Placement in combination with the STEP Co-op@ College of the North Atlantic. Students who complete courses at the College of the North Atlantic may have their instructional hours in their course(s) credited as "apprenticeship hours" by the Department of Education once a Contract of Apprenticeship is signed with an employer.

Credits:
Level II: Co-op Ed. 1100, STEP Co-op 1120/2220
Level III: STEP Co-op 3220/2122

A significant percentage of high school graduates decide not to pursue post secondary education. STEP Co-op@ Employment Placement is designed for students who plan to enter the workforce directly from high school before any other career destination.

Students, through their co-op work placement, will be able to further develop their personal networks while obtaining practical on-the-job experiences related to their employment interests.

Credits:
Level II: Co-op Ed. 1100, STEP Co-op 1120/2220
Level III: STEP Co-op 3220/2122

Ms. Cathy Quigley
Co-op Education Teacher
Gonzaga High School
20 Smithville Crescent
St. John’s, NL A1B 2V2

Phone: 753-7570
Fax: 753-2117
E-Mail: catherinequigley@esdnl.ca

Check out where our co-op students work and the kinds of things they do !