Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

Recession hurts job chances for co-ops
By Paul Kreiner
The News Record, U. Cincinnati
December 03, 2008

With more than 30 majors at the University of Cincinnati participating in a mandatory co-op program and the United States officially in a recession, students can’t help but worry about their chances of being taken under the wing of blue chip companies.

“The co-op program allows students to graduate reasonably debt-free while gaining work experience at the same time,” said Richard Newrock, dean of the College of Applied Science. “But we’ve never faced an economic situation as deep as this.”

Newrock said there is some difficulty placing students within the program and has suggested alternative ideas, including placing students within the university and postponing the program for some students until the economy recovers.

Kettil Cedercreutz, associate provost and co-op director, said that placing students within the university is only a solution for a few of the thousands of students applying for co-ops each quarter. Cedercreutz oversees the integrity of the UC co-op program and makes sure the company programs follow the same structure as the university’s.

The economy is already affecting the number of companies interested in the program. The engineering career fair attracted approximately 15 percent fewer employers this year compared to 2007, according to Cedercreutz.

“Sophomores will feel the pain this year, but it will be easier as juniors, with higher maturity and skill level, to land a position in the program,” Cedercreutz said.

A study conducted between 2002 and 2005 showed that out of 12,000 co-op offerings, only 180 students were not accepted in their first application process, 18 in the second round and only four in the third.

Cedercreutz suggested that students who have not landed their first jobs should make sure they have quality resumes and portfolios to present to companies.

“Employers are not only interested in what basic skills a student has but also proof that the student has been able to put their skills into action,” Cedercreutz said. “Every human activity helps.”

Robby Unger, a second-year information technology student, finished his first application process this fall, landing a position at General Electric. Unger, who considers himself in the top echelon of sophomore information technology students with a 3.525 grade point average, applied to 23 companies while the university submitted his resume to at least two more companies. Of those 25 applications, only three companies replied.

“I’ve been working on my amazing resume for 2 years now and if not for that, I doubt I would have gotten any offers,” Unger said. “I know people with good GPA’s and similar experience who didn’t get any [offers].”

For those already placed in the co-op program, Cedercreutz suggests no one panic when rumors start circulating within the company about layoffs and budget crunches.

“When companies face layoffs, co-ops tend to be the first to go,” Cedercreutz said. “The temptation is often to request a job change, but staying put in an uncertain situation is, most of the time, your safest bet.”

Though first to go in hard times, co-ops represent the future of the company and are also the first jobs to be rehired when the tide turns, according to Cederceutz. Members of the co-op program can often secure a job within their sponsoring companies after graduation.

The up side to the situation is that UC’s co-op has had a strong performance in bleak historical times.

“The program holds a tremendous goodwill toward employers, which tends to materialize in high placement rates,” Cedercreutz said.

Between 2001 and 2003, the U.S. unemployment rate reached a high of 6.5 percent. But during the same time period, the UC co-op placement rate never dipped below 95.6 percent.

“Just hang in there,” Cedercreutz said. “This is a serious situation, but together we can make it through.”

Newrock will be taking advantage of the upcoming switch from quarters to semesters in order to complete a partnership between CAS and the College of Engineering but said that it will have no effect on the current co-op system. However, 15-week co-ops may be set up in order to adjust to the semester schedule.

[ Back to Student Voices ]