Co Op Student Placement Procedure
A structured program for integrating co-op students into manufacturing operations, ensuring both educational value and operational consistency through lean principles.
This procedure establishes a standardized framework for onboarding, supervising, and evaluating co-op students within a manufacturing environment. It aligns with lean management principles, safety regulations, and operational efficiency goals while providing students with meaningful, skill-building work experience. The program ensures that every student placement supports continuous improvement initiatives and respects the host department's workflow stability.
This procedure applies to all manufacturing departments hosting co-op students under recognized university or college cooperative education programs. It covers students in engineering, production operations, maintenance, and quality roles. The procedure does not apply to third-party contractors, unpaid interns, or summer students not enrolled in a formal co-op program. All placements must be pre-approved by the Operations Manager and Human Resources.
- Student placement must be approved by the Operations Manager and HR before any onboarding activities begin.
- A designated supervisor must be assigned within the first week of the placement; the supervisor is responsible for daily guidance and progress tracking.
- Student work must align with predefined learning objectives and directly support active lean projects or operational improvement initiatives.
- Weekly check-ins are mandatory; the supervisor must document progress, address concerns, and update the placement log.
- Safety orientation and personal protective equipment (PPE) training must be completed before the student accesses any production floor area.
- Operations Manager — Approves placements, allocates supervisor resources, ensures alignment with production schedules and lean initiatives.
- Human Resources — Manages all legal paperwork, confirms co-op enrollment, coordinates onboarding logistics, and maintains placement records.
- Designated Supervisor — Provides daily task direction, conducts weekly reviews, completes mid-term and final evaluations, and serves as the student's primary contact.
- Co-Op Student — Adheres to all workplace policies and safety rules, completes assigned tasks, participates in lean activities, reports issues promptly, and maintains a professional attitude.