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Cooperative Education is a type of work-based learning offered by Massachusetts Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. Through a cooperative arrangement between the school and employers, students receive instruction by the alternation of study in school with a job in a related occupational field. Such instruction shall be planned and supervised by the school and the employer so that each contributes to the student's education and employability. Work periods and school attendance may be on alternate half-days, full days, weeks, or other coordinated periods of time.
Cooperative Education, also known as co-op,
Eligibility and placement into Cooperative Education is determined by local policy, in accordance with federal and state law and regulation.
Visit the Safe Jobs for Youth Guide for child labor laws and sample Cooperative Education agreements, checklists, and additional websites.
Are CTE (Chapter 74) programs required to offer cooperative education?
Programs are required to offer work-based learning. Although not required, Cooperative Education, a work-based learning experience, is a signature quality component of CTE programs.
How do I determine if my student is ready for cooperative education?
Students who are 16 years or older may begin Cooperative Education after completing one and a half years or the equivalent of a program. Program administrators and instructors ensure students practice and gain proficiency in career relevant standard and skills.
Must schools have a licensed cooperative education coordinator?
No, cooperative education may be supervised by either a licensed cooperative education coordinator or a licensed CTE educator. As a dedicated position, the cooperative education coordinator builds resources for high quality partnerships with employers and high quality learning experiences for students.
Must schools have minimum entrance requirements for student participation in cooperative education?
Students must be enrolled in an approved CTE (chapter 74) program and have demonstrated the acquisition of the knowledge and skills in the applicable CTE Instructional Frameworks and the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks associated with at least one and one half years of full time study in the program area, and not earlier than midway through the junior year.
Does an employer need to hold worker's compensation insurance?
Yes. To determine if an employer holds worker's compensation, contact the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents .
Can Massachusetts students work in cooperative education employment in other states?
For a Massachusetts student to work in cooperative education employment outside of Massachusetts, the state in which they would work must allow for it and all labor laws that are pertinent to that state must be followed. This can be a complicated matter, requiring much research on the part of the cooperative education coordinator beginning with the pertinent state's Department of Labor. Note that Massachusetts Cooperative Education Employment Permits are issued for Massachusetts only.
The following are useful links to bordering states' appropriate web sites:
Do Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) checks apply to the employers and their employees who are involved with cooperative education?
M.G.L. C. 71, § 38R requires all schools to conduct criminal background checks on current and prospective employees and volunteers, including those who regularly provide school related transportation to students, who may have direct and unmonitored contact with children. CORI must be obtained from the CHSB at least every three years during an individual's term of employment or service. Please refer to the Advisory on Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) Law.
How often must a cooperative education coordinator or CTE teacher visit the cooperative education site?
Visits should be sufficient to support the student in the cooperative education experience, including understanding the skills and experience the student is obtaining through the placement.
May students in CTE programs be self-employed for the cooperative education component of the program?
No. State and federal laws governing cooperative education for high school students consistently define cooperative education as a program for a student under an employer.
Can cooperative education be offered in the summer as a graded course?
Yes. A school may offer a cooperative education program in the summer, provided that the school has policies and procedures for the summer cooperative education program. The program should be directly connected to the standards and skills of the students' program, and a cooperative education coordinator or CTE educator should be engaged in implementing and overseeing the program and student learning. The policies and procedures must comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines regarding cooperative education including those related to supervision by the school.
Can students in summer employment have the same permissions as their cooperative placement?
No. Students under 18 on non-cooperative education course summer jobs, regardless of whether they worked with the same employer as part of Cooperative Education during the school year, are prohibited from performing work that minors under 18 are prohibited from performing.
A student who is under 18 and employed cannot perform prohibited work unless the student is enrolled in the cooperative education course that is part of a Chapter 74- approved CTE program. Please refer to M.G.L. c. 149 Section 62A Employment of vocational agricultural students, and the Code of Federal Regulations Title 29 (CFR 29) Part 570.50-570.68 , and the Child Labor Requirements in Nonagricultural Occupations under the Fair Labor Standards Act .
What is the appropriate employment license for students participating in Cooperative Education?
In place of the standard work permit, a special Cooperative Education Employment Permit must be obtained by all minors who will be employed in cooperative education. The permits are issued by the superintendent of the school district where the minor is enrolled in a Chapter 74 program. The permit is retained by the employer but returned to the student when the co-op ends; the student returns the permit to either the Superintendent or co-op coordinator when the permit expires.
Does the limited exemption for 17-year-old persons to drive vehicles on public roads subject to a few conditions mean that a student enrolled in cooperative education may be allowed to operate vehicles off-roads in the automotive shop or yard?
A 17-year-old student enrolled in a cooperative education program that is part of a Chapter 74-approved CTE program in Automotive Technician or Automotive Collision may operate a motor vehicle with restrictions. Read the federal Department of Labor's Hazardous Occupations Order: Youth Employment Provision and Driving Automobiles and Trucks under the Fair Labor Standards (FLSA) for more information.
A senior in a program, who is 17 and will not turn 18 until summer after graduation, is participating in cooperative education. The student has been issued a Cooperative Education Employment Permit. The student will graduate from the program on June 11th of this year. The employer wishes to continue with this student and has asked if the student can continue under the existing employment permit until their eighteenth birthday. Can the student work between their high school graduation and their eighteenth birthday?
M.G.L. c. 149 section 62A includes the following:
"The provisions of sections sixty-one and sixty-two prohibiting the employment of certain minors shall not prohibit the employment of minors who are graduates of trade or vocational high schools; provided that such minors are employed in the same occupation as they were trained for in such trade or vocational school."
Therefore, the 17-year-old student may continue under the permit.
Last Updated: April 6, 2026