| COOPERATIVE EDUCATION
| The
Information Systems Cooperative Education (Co-op) Student Program
is a joint venture between the Office for Information Resources (OIR) and Nashville
State Community College (NSCC). The Career Employment
Center at Nashville State provides students to work for any
agency that has a valid need of assistance. |
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WIN-WIN
The Information Systems Cooperative Education (Co-op)
Student Program is a WIN - WIN situation for everyone. The Co-op
student wins by being employed in his field of study and by having
the chance to learn how the IT workplace operates. He gets to apply
what he is learning in the classroom to the real world situations.
The Agency wins by having an educated, interested and motivated worker.
The Agency also wins by having the special opportunity to try to recruit
the Co-op for a full time position when he graduates. You can also
send the Co-op to the IS College whenever they need training.
SIMPLE
PROCESS
It is so simple to start the process. Agencies must
contact the contract administrator and set up a RFS for Billing purposes.
Then the Agency receives the list of candidates from the contract administrator. Then all you have
to do is to interview the candidates, decide on whom you want to hire
and put them to work. There is no more paperwork. No registers. No
approvals required. You can start the Co-op to work any day you want.
You can terminate the Co-op at any time.
GREAT
BARGAIN
The Co-op Program is a Great Bargain. The Co-op
costs you $12.00 per hour for the first semester. After he completes
a semester he goes to $13.00 an hour. After he completes the 2nd semester
he tops out at $14.00 an hour. The Co-op is paid twice a month by
NSCC. NSCC actually pays the Co-ops and bills us for their cost.
We, in turn, bill you for the Co-op through OIR Billing every month.
EASY
TRACKING
The Co-op program requires almost no tracking. The Co-op
student enters his time into MULTITRAK, against your RFS, and submits
a Time Sheet to the contract administrator at the end of every pay period. All his supervisor
has to do is sign the Time Sheet at the end of the pay period.
SUPERVISOR
RESPONSES
Participating supervisors were asked to rate active
student participants of the Information Systems Co-op Student Program.
All participating supervisors answered yes when asked
if they will continue to use the co-op as a source for technical talent
and if they would recommend co-op resources to other department managers.
To offer credibility, participating supervisors were solicited for
the quotes that follow.
- "Yes, our experience was quite positive. Our co-op student
was able to perform mission-critical functions within the first
week of hire. We are currently looking at hiring two more students,
and are impressed with the quality produced by Nashville Tech."
Diane Copeland - Finance and Administration
- "I find that co-op students are eager to learn and willing
to take on any assignment given to them. It is a pleasure to work
with someone who is excited about learning." Marsha Sumner
- Health Marsha.Sumner@state.tn.us
- "Creating and maintaining web pages can become a full time
job very quickly. Without the help of our co-op student, OIR would
have a difficult time keeping the information on our web site current
and informative. The process is quick and painless!" Bonnie
Heithcock, State Webmaster-Finance & Adminstration bonnie.heithcock@state.tn.us
- "The co-op program has been wonderful. We have three students
that have been put right to work with minimal supervision. One has
completed checking our PC's for Y2K compliance. The other two are
attaching NT workstations to our LAN. The work that we are receiving
for the cost is a bargain." Bill Beecroft, OSTS Director-
Department of Labor
- "Virtually all candidates have the skill sets to bring immediate
results. They hit the ground running!"
Bill Stephenson - Department of Safety
- "I have found the co-op program to provide a more mature
and grounded candidates who possess mission critical skills than
that of a typical cooperative education program." Johanna
Gonsewski - Chidren's Services
- "I hired my co-op student!" Lenny Dunn - Employment
Security
- "Application testing is not one of the areas that most universities,
colleges, etc. spend a lot of time on, but our Co-op student worker,
Minh Do, has proven to be a huge asset to our team in the area of
application testing." Regina Clark - Children's Services
CONTACT
For additional information, please contact the Co-op contract administrator listed below:
Bill Beecroft
OIR Director of Administration
Suite 1600, Southeast
Wm. Snodgrass Tenn Tower
312 8th Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37243-0287
Phone: (615) 253-1786
Fax: (615) 532-0471
Email: bill.beecroft@state.tn.us
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