Cooperative Education Skill Standards Introduction

Sara Baird, Consultant Skills Standards Administrator Email: sara.baird@dpi.wi.gov Phone: 608-266-2022

Deb Motiff Operations Program Associate Email: debra.motiff@dpi.wi.gov Phone: 608-267-0360

Wisconsin's Cooperative Education Skill Standards Certificate Program is designed in partnership with business, industry and labor representatives, and educators around the integration of school-based and work-based learning and appropriate career development experiences. The program is designed to provide paid work experience for junior and senior high school students which contributes substantially to their educational and occupational development. Students learn technical tasks and employability skills validated by business and industry representatives in cooperation with high school, technical college and university instructors. The student attends school part of the day and works part of the day. A teacher supervises this arrangement in one of the following areas: agriculture, business, family and consumer, marketing, or technology education.

The student's job is matched with a career interest in one of these areas. The student also takes a high school course in the related area; this course may be eligible for transfer credits to a technical college or four-year college.

The Cooperative Education Skill Standards Certificate Program encourages students to move through a series of learning activities with opportunities for career exploration, further learning, and employment skills based on state standards.

A student involved in certified skills co-op receives high school credit for the work experiences and the related school class and a certificate of proficiency in the technical area.

The eligible Wisconsin Cooperative Education Skills Program areas are:

• Agribusiness-Animal & Plant Sciences
• Business
• Child Services
• Construction
• Electronics
• Family and Community Services
• Food Service
• Health Science
• Marketing, Advanced Marketing (formerly Executive Leadership), Entrepreneurship, Professional Sales, Retail Management (formerly Retail Marketing), E-Commerce, Sports & Entertainment

Please refer to the Cooperative Education Skill Standards Certificate Program Guidelines as a resource for the implementation of Wisconsin's Cooperative Education Skill Standards Certificate Program.

For questions about this information, contact Debra J. Motiff (608) 267-0360

Last updated on 10/19/2011 11:22:40 AM