Cooperative Work Experience

McKenzie Hall 210, 541-917-4787, linnbenton.edu/cwe

Cooperative Work Experience (CWE) provides students with the opportunity to earn up to 12 credits per year for working or volunteering in a job related to their LBCC program of study. This allows students to gain work experience, make professional contacts and apply classroom knowledge within a real-world settings. Students may be exposed to work methods not taught in the classroom and have access to equipment not typically available in the college laboratory. A primary focus of CWE is to reinforce classroom theory and provide learning experiences not available in the classroom.

No more than 24 credit hours of CWE can be applied toward an Associate of Applied Science degree or 12 credit hours for a one-year certificate of completion.

Certain programs require that students enroll in a (1) one credit CWE online Seminar class during their first term of CWE. The CWE Seminar instructs students on employability skills (soft skills), cover letters, resume writing, cover letters, safety and harassment policies and employment searches. CWE offers a class on Career Exploration for students who are exploring different majors. Similar to other CWE classes, students identify objectives, work a specified number of hours, and participate in related seminar activities. Credits earned are based upon identified objectives and number of hours worked.

If interested in building Cooperative Work Experience into a program at LBCC, discuss it with the program advisor and the CWE coordinator to plan the most appropriate term for registration. Students should plan their CWE the term before beginning working and allow ample time for locating a training site.