Co-op & Internships
How can you get job experience if you can't get a job? Delta College can help you gain valuable job experience while you're still taking classes.
The term Co-op is derived from the co-operative relationship between the student, the employer, and Delta College. This relationship bridges the gap between your academic life and the real world of work.
Academic Career Experience (ACE)
Academic Career Experience (ACE) is a process of learning which integrates and reinforces the student's academic and career studies with related, productive, paid work experience. This program is based on the philosophy that learning extends beyond the classroom and the combination of classroom learning and practical experience enhances a student's education.
ACE will help you learn:
- about the relationship between class at Delta and life after graduation
- to develop the career competencies required beyond classroom knowledge
- to understand the forces at play in the global market and the new economy, and their affect on the workplace, the workforce, and individual lives and careers
- to make informed decisions about career goals
- to find career opportunities related to personal and professional objectives
- to make a difference in the world through your work
Students are saying...
"The main point I would express to a new ACE co-op student would be that these classes can and will help to develop personal and long term job skill sets. Even though these classes may seem like such a hassle to be required to take, they really do pay off in the end. I have learned many skills and obtained knowledge that will be very beneficial to me for future endeavors."
– Paige Little, second year ACE student, Fall 2012
"You should know your class is very helpful. The information you have taught, I shared with my girlfriend and I firmly believe it has helped her recent job hunt and secured several interviews."
– anonymous, first year ACE student, Fall 2012
"Both my work experience as well as co-op classes have helped me grow into an exceptional employee. They have helped me gain familiarity with the company I work with now and insight for my future career by characteristics and traits that make a good employee. But most importantly, it has helped me gain a better knowledge of myself as a person, the areas that I excel at, and those that I need to grow on. I have gotten a firmer grasp on the qualities that employers look for; trustworthiness, responsibility, respectfulness, integrity and professionalism, to name a few. Through my work experience at Dow, I have strengthened my communication skills. Speaking to strangers on a day-to-day basis has fortified this ability I didn’t have much of before. I’ve also created many friendships with co-workers and classmates that have made this co-op experience worthwhile! I don’t believe it could have been any better."
– Austin Stemple, third year ACE student, Fall 2012
“My co-op experience has taught me how to deal with people better and also how to become a harder worker. I deal with people and difficult, unexpected situations on a daily basis, so I have really learned how to better deal with them. Learning these things has shown me that I am a good people person, and I can deal with people and situations that I am not necessarily expecting. I really appreciate the program because it allows people to not only work and go to school, but also learn specific things in their career fields. It is very hard to find this in other jobs, and it is something I have come to realize and appreciate. I think there is really not much to change. The program helps many students and employees to study and learn how to be good future workers and prepares us to have success in our futures.” –Zachery Haselhuhn, 3rd year ACE student – Fall 2012
Current Postings
Check out the current internship opportunities (PDF).
Check out the current co-op job postings (PDF).