DCHP-2

co-op coop, co-op program, co-operative education DCHP-2 (October 2016)

• n. — abbreviation for co-operative education, Education

  an educational program combining classroom sessions with practical work experience; a work-study program.

  Type: 5. Frequency — Though co-op programs, or co-ops, did not originate in Canada (see the 1960 quotation), they have grown significantly in popularity in Canadian institutions (see Chart 1). The first co-operative education program was established in 1957 at the institution that later became the University of Waterloo (see the 1959 quotation) as a complementary program in the engineering department. By 1979, there were 50 programs in 12 institutions across Canada, with a total of 26,000 students (see CAFCE reference).
  See also COD-2, s.v. "co-op" (3), which is marked "esp. Cdn", Gage-5, s.v. "co-operative" (3).