There are specific requirements to participate in the GACTC’s Cooperative Education (Co-Op) and Internship programs and are listed below:

• In the Co-Op program, the student must work a minimum of 15 hours of scheduled work per week – during the academic school year (August-June).
• For an internship, the student has no minimum requirement but does have a specific time frame which is determined by employer and Co-Op Coordinator.
• The student must be paid Minimum Wage Rate or better. We have found previous Co-Op employers pay our GACTC students between $13.00 and $14.00 an hour as our students have training and skills obtained through their program of study; however, this is the Co-Op employer’s ultimate choice.
• The employer must cover the student under the company’s Workman Compensation Insurance.
• The employer is not liable to the unemployment compensation fund for wages paid to the student while under the training program. This is provided in section 4L4-10C in Pennsylvania Unemployment Compensation Law.
• The supervisor, or someone who will be working closely with the student, will need to obtain their Child Abuse Clearance (Act 151) and Criminal Record Check (Act 34). You will register as a volunteer for both clearances.  The clearances must be within one year at the time of the student’s Co-Op employment and are required for ALL employers who are entering into the Co-Op program, no matter the students age, i.e. 17 versus 18 years of age.

Please contact the Office of Work Based Learning at wbloffice@gactc.edu or (814)505-1219 if you are interested in providing a Co-Op/Internship experience for students in any of our Programs of Study.