Hire a #MacEng Co-op Student
Connecting with engineering and technology students before they graduate is essential in today’s competitive business world. One of the largest co-op programs in Canada, with over 6000 students available annually, hiring a #MacEng co-op student ensures that your business stays ahead of the game by engaging with tomorrow’s emerging talent.
Five McMaster Engineering students and recent alumni share the technical skills and experience they can bring to your organization.
Whether you want to hire a student today or learn more about our program, our co-op advisors are here to help you.

Varun Jain

Lacey Wice

Biya Kazmi

Julee Minniti

Tomisin Olomi
Interested in Hiring a #MacEng Co-op Student?
How to Hire a Student
Our team of experts in Engineering Co-op & Career Services are here every step of the way to guide you through the recruitment process.
Available Programs and Disciplines
We have students available from a variety of programs and disciplines. For more information, please explore our departments, schools and programs.
- Automation Engineering Technology
- Biotechnology
- Chemical Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Computer Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Mechatronics Engineering
- Software Engineering
- Automotive & Vehicle Technology
- Biomedical Engineering & Health Sciences
- Chemical & Biomedical Engineering
- Computer Engineering
- Engineering Physics
- Materials Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Civil Engineering Infrastructure Technology
- Manufacturing Engineering Technology
- Power & Energy Engineering Technology
- Software Engineering Technology
- Masters
- PhD
No Rank/Match!
We offer a highly flexible and customizable co-op program, allowing employers to recruit the right talent, at the right time.
Cycle |
Co-op Positions Start |
Student Availability |
Fall 2023 | September | 4, 8, 12 or 16 months |
Winter 2024 | January | 4, 8, 12 or 16 months |
Spring 2024 | May | 4, 8, 12 or 16 months |
Recruitment Cycles
Our flexible and highly customizable co-op program has students available year-round to meet your specific recruitment needs. McMaster Engineering operates a continuous cycle, and does not use a rank/match hiring system. Hire our students according to your company needs.
Information Box Group
Step One : Post a Job
Through our engineering specific job board on OSCARplus, our team can post your positions, collect applications (cover letter, resume and transcript) and forward these to you via an email link the day after the job closing date. Prefer applications go directly to you or your website? No problem! Just let us know what works best for you!
To post a job opportunity, please refer to the instructions for posting on OSCARplus.
Post a job with us using OSCARplus or send us your posting in Word or PDF.
Step Two: Arrange Interviews
Our team is happy to schedule your interviews directly with the students (including on- and off-campus, phone or video skype interviews). If you would like us to set up the interviews for you, please email us or select the candidates and set up interview details through your job posting on OSCARplus. If you are interviewing on-campus, our team will be there to take care of you.
Step Three: Extend an Offer
Once you have selected a candidate, our team is happy to extend the offer on your behalf.
When extending an offer, we recommend a minimum 5-day decision window for students.
Once a student has accepted an offer, we request that you notify our team by emailing us at engcoop@mcmaster.ca. This ensures there are no delays in registration of the work experience, and that your funding applications will not be delayed.
Campus Branding & Engagement
Are you ready to make a lasting impact with our highly versatile students? Our team presents an exclusive opportunity to participate in our curated series of high-impact events.
We have carefully crafted a calendar of events that will allow you to engage with our dedicated students, establish your brand, and create memorable experiences. Your involvement goes beyond traditional recruitment—it’s about leaving a lasting impression.
Campus Recruitment & Employer Branding Opportunities
Event Size: 100-300 students | Fall/Winter Term | Evenings
In partnership with Engineering Co-op & Career Services, our respective engineering student societies put on a collaborative networking event each year to connect students with industry. This is a great opportunity to meet and recruit students from targeted programs.
Event Size: 30-120 students| Fall/Winter | Day
For two hours, set up a booth in the Faculty of Engineering Lobby. Have former co-op students, HR staff and managers available to answer students’ questions about your company. Chat to students about your company in a space that is comfortable and familiar to students.
Campus-Wide Fall Campus Fair
Event Size: 2000 students | fall term | 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | McMaster University
The Campus Career Fair is one of the largest career events on McMaster University’s campus. This is your opportunity to connect with McMaster University students across all faculties. Students will be actively seeking employment for full-time, co-op, part-time and internship positions.
Connect to Careers – Career Fair
Event Size: 2000 students | winter term | First Ontario Place, Hamilton
Connect to Careers is the best way to find and recruit new talent — presented in partnership by McMaster University; Mohawk College; Redeemer University; Workforce Planning Hamilton; and Economic Development, City of Hamilton.
For more information on how you can partake in this event as an employer, please reach out to the McMaster Student Success Centre.
Event Size: 200 students | winter term | evening
Meet and network with young women in engineering. This is not only an opportunity to help in the professional development of young women engineers, but also a great recruitment event for students seeking co-op or full-time employment. Bring your best and brightest McMaster Engineering Alumni along to provide mentorship to young women engineers.
Held annually since 2008, The Hunt is a professional development event hosted by the National Society of Black Engineers McMaster Chapter. The event provides the necessary resources for students to succeed in the professional working world, while also promoting diversity within the industry. We are looking for employers to critique cover letters and resumes, and pass on their wisdom in the form of mock interviews. In addition, there will be a small career fair to allow employers to network with top engineering, computer science and technology talent.
Learn more about NSBE here.
Event Size: 100-150 | Fall/Winter | Day/Evenings
Our team is pleased to announce our newest series, Industry of the Week. The Industry of the Week series focuses on connecting students with a wide variety of employers in a focused industry, during one week of high-impact events.
Participating in one of our industry weeks will give you an opportunity to connect and engage with amazing student talent across several programs in the Faculty of Engineering. You’ll have an opportunity to promote your company brand and network with students, while supporting them in understanding where their career can take them in industry. Employers will be asked to participate in one of three events during the week:
– Industry Panel – Discuss technology, advancements, industry outlook.
– HR/Talent Acquisition Panel – Discuss industry hiring best practices related to networking, resumes, interviews etc.
– Networking event – Network with students across different programs.
Experiential Engagement Opportunities
McMaster Engineering has over 60 engineering clubs, teams, committees, conferences and competitions with whom you can engage with as an employer. Enrich student life, contribute to student career & professional development, and recruit engineering talent. Our team can work with you to connect you to the right engagement opportunities and students to meet your recruitment and branding needs.
Check out the list of active clubs and teams!
Are you interested in engaging with students in McMaster hosted competitions, or do you have your own challenge you would like a student to solve? These activities are great branding opportunities and allow you to meet future co-op or full-time employees.
Our students benefit from company sponsorship to succeed academically, deliver high-impact projects annually, and get connected to top employers and industries. Sponsorship is a targeted way for your company to focus on engaging with top, highly-motivated groups of students. From car racing teams, to hackathons, to co-op and career events, to supporting equity-deserving students… there are many ways to maximize your support to McMaster Engineering.
Mentorship is an excellent way to give back to students and support their academic and professional success. It is also a great way to get connected with highly-motivated groups of students. From mentoring individual students through one-on-one sessions, to volunteering your time as judges or mentors for hackathons and other events, there are many ways to get involved.
Capstone projects can be done in all of the engineering programs and are final-year in-class projects tackling a real-world technical problem. Students in small groups work for either one or two semesters and help assist in creating a solution to an engaging work-related issue.
Each year, the Faculty of Engineering puts on a showcase of final year engineering student capstone projects. This showcase is a great way to connect with students who are close to graduation and may be seeking full-time employment.
Additionally, we are always recruiting industry judges for the projects and companies to propose an engineering problem to our students for a future capstone project; a great brand awareness and mentoring opportunity for your company.
Expectations
The successful recruitment of co-op students depends upon the collective activities of three parties – the employer, the co-op student, and the educational institution. As an employer of a co-op student, there are expectations that are required to fulfil the co-op requirements and abide by ethical recruitment guidelines. the co-op requirements:
Employer Ethics & Guidelines
Work-Integrated Learning Employer Guidelines provide guidance on employer ethics and procedures for engaging in a recruiting partnership with McMaster University. Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is a model and process of curricular experiential education which formally and intentionally integrates a student’s academic studies within a workplace or practice setting. WIL experiences include an engaged partnership of at least: an academic institution, a host organization, and a student. WIL can occur at the course or program level and includes the development of learning outcomes related to employability, personal agency and life-long learning.
Information Box Group
Work Term Evaluations
Supervisors are required to monitor and evaluate the performance of the co-op student while they are undertaking a work experience at your organization. Supervisor evaluations are required for each applicable 4-month term of co-op experience. Supervisors will be prompted via email when evaluations are due, which is usually a month before the end of each 4-month co-op term. The successful completion and submission of the supervisor evaluation is a requirement for our office to issue the Co-operative Education Tax Credit to your organization.
What are the requirements for an eligible co-op experience?
For a position to be verified as an eligible co-op experience, it must meet the following minimum requirements:
- The role needs to be related to engineering and/or technology.
- The role needs to be a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks in duration, for every 16-week employment term.
- The role needs to be full-time hours. The minimum requirement is 35 hours per week.
- The roles must be paid, and the wages/salary need to meet provincial or territorial minimums. The current minimum wage requirement for Ontario employers is $15.50/hour.
Co-op Policies for Students
Our McMaster Engineering co-op students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner throughout their participation in the co-op program as outlined in our Policies and Expectations.
Funding
It is never more affordable to hire a McMaster Engineering co-op student. Many funding, subsidies and tax incentives exist to offset the hiring costs of our co-op students.
Expandable List
IMPORTANT UPDATE:
In affect beginning April 2022, NET NEW position requirements will be reimplemented as a requirement for funding.
New criteria for eligible employers has been established, and post-secondary institutions will no longer be eligible for SWPP funding.
As part of the Government of Canada’s Student Work Placement Program (SWPP), a variety of funding opportunities are available for employers to hire students for the purposes of experiential learning. This funding is being administered by Employment and Social Development Canada.
Through SWPP, organizations within Canada that offer full-time employment opportunities between 12-16 weeks for full-time Canadian post-secondary students can receive wage subsidies:
- up to 50% of the wage cost for the placement (up to a maximum of $5,000 per placement) per student OR
- up to 70% (up to a maximum of $7,000 per placement) for under-represented students including first-year students, women in STEM, indigenous students, persons with disabilities and newcomers.
There are a total of 19 delivery partner organizations that help distribute this funding.
You can apply for this funding through the SWPP delivery partners, outlined below:
Delivery Partner Organization | Eligibility | ||
Information and Communication Technology Council – WIL Digital Subsidy | Applications must be from a Registered business or Not-for-profit organization that provides a student with a meaningful work placement which includes a Digital or Technology component and uses technology in some capacity.
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Magnet Student Work Placement Program |
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Biotalent Canada | Must be with a bio-economy employer or healthcare employer and/or fulfilling a bio-economy or healthcare job function.
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Canadian Agricultural Human Resources Council | Agri-workforce gaps inevitably lead to lost sales, production delays, and stress across the entire value chain with no end in sight. CAHRC has heard the industry calling for creative solutions we and have partnered with the Government’s Student Work Placement (SWP) Program to put post-secondary students directly into employment opportunities in their communities.
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Canadian Council for Aviation & Aerospace | Organizations in Canada working in the aerospace and aviation industry (cannot be a research position in a school lab). | ||
Canadian Media Producers Association – Student Work Placement Program | The CMPA’s National Mentorship Program has invested in the next generation of independent producers—and a strong future for our industry—by placing aspiring producers in Canada’s leading production companies.
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Cultural Human Resources Council Student Work Placement Program | CHRC is seeking applications from cultural sector employers. This sector includes Digital Media (Content Creators); Film and Television; Live Performing Arts; Music and Sound Recording; Visual Arts and Crafts; Writing and Publishing; and Heritage. The student’s field of study does not have to be related to arts and culture. For example, if a Canadian cultural sector employer requires assistance in developing its website, a computer science student could be hired.
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Electricity Human Resources Canada (EHRC) – Empowering Futures |
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Environmental Careers Organization (ECO) of Canada – Co-op Program | Organizations in Canada that are looking to hire students from science, technology, engineering, arts or mathematics (STEAM). Work terms must be at least 6 weeks long. Funding can be applied to part-time students as well as co-op students. | ||
Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium WIL Works | EMC is working in partnership with the SWPP team to achieve Canada’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Strategy, which is meant to drive systemic change in the skills development system by EMC working with post-secondary institution partners to effectively align ‘work-ready’ skills of students with the skills required by Canada’s manufacturers.
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Food Processing Skills Canada Student Work Placement Program | This program has been designed to support employers in connecting with students across all educational categories from food science to business, engineering and quality assurance. Food Processing Skills Canada’s Student Work Placement Program+ has made it easy for employers in Canada’s food and beverage manufacturing industry to connect with college and university students for work terms.
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Information and Communication Technology Council – WIL Digital Subsidy | Eligibility requirements include:
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Mining Industry Human Resources Council (MIHR) – Gearing Up | Organizations in Canada (small and large companies/post-secondary institutions/non-profit organizations) working in the mining or mineral exploration sectors are encouraged to apply.
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Ontario Chamber of Commerce Talent Opportunities Program | The Talent Opportunities Program (TOP) is an initiative of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce designed to help employers located anywhere in Canada hire college and university students on work placements.
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Technation – Career Ready Program | Organizations in Canada looking for employees with skills in the field of Information and Communications Technology.
Positions you are hiring for can fall under the following categories:
Municipal governments are eligible for funding.
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Toronto Finance International (TFI) – Aspire | Organizations in Canada working in the financial services sector, including:
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Tourism HR Canada Propel Student Work Placement Program | The Propel Student Work Placement Program is a new initiative to help the hardest-hit sector recover from the devastating impacts of the pandemic.
The latest addition to the Government of Canada’s Student Work Placement Program, Propel offers post-secondary students opportunities to develop the work-ready skills required to secure meaningful employment upon graduation.
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Trucking HR Canada Student Work Placement Subsidy | Full-time or part-time work opportunity (minimum 4 weeks up to a maximum of 16 weeks at a minimum of 10 hours/week), directly related to the applicant’s program of study, and /or fulfilling a trucking and logistics job function.
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Venture for Canada – Internship Program | Employers must:
Employers can be from a wide range of industries from agriculture to robotics and anything in between.
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Need more information about funding, or assistance finding a candidate? Please contact us to learn more.
Any Ontario employer hiring students from a post-secondary co-op program, who are not government institutions, are eligible to receive an Ontario Tax Credit.
Large corporations can claim 25% of expenditures, up to $3,000 per work placement. Small businesses can claim 30%, up to $3,000. This tax credit is available for each eligible 4-month work placement and employers may have multiple work placements at the same time and throughout the year. The tax credit is per eligible work placement and there is no cap. If you hire a student for 8, 12 or 16-months, you will receive a tax credit for each 4-month block of time.
The Engineering Co-op and Career Services Office sends tax credits letters to employers at the end of every 4-month term, once all the expectations and requirements of both the employer and student have been met. More information on co-op program requirements can be found on our employers page.
Delivery Partner Organization | Eligibility | ||
PROJECT GRANT PROGRAM – CANADIAN INSTITUTES OF HEALTH RESEARCH (CIHR) | Funding: Varies
Eligibility: Researchers at any career stage to build and conduct health-related research and knowledge translation projects. |
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INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ASSISTANCE PROGRAM | Funding: Covers a portion of an intern’s salary.
This program is great for any organizations looking to hire emerging talent to assist and work on projects related to research and development, engineering, multimedia/market analysis components, or to help develop a new product/process. Eligibility include:
The candidate’s internship must last a minimum of six months and a maximum of 12 months, and the candidate must be:
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Funding Organization | Eligibility | ||
PROJECT LEARNING TREE CANADA | Funding: Up to 50% wage match to employers hiring youth aged 15-30 into forest, conservation, climate change, sustainability and parks jobs (up to a maximum of $5,712 per youth).
Eligibility: Any organization that will offer work experience opportunities to students in the green jobs sector. Work experiences must be from 2-20 weeks in duration and must take place between July 13, 2020 and March 31, 2021. The job must be a Green Job from the Approved Jobs List and:
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CAREER FOCUS GREEN JOBS | Funding: Offers up to $13,500 in wage subsidies over six months to employers to hire a recent graduate from any discipline into a “green job”.
Eligibility: Businesses in the Biotech sector that have a green mandate and are hiring a co-op student for a role with an environmental focus. This organization offers funding opportunities for both co-op students and new graduates. |
Funding Organization | Eligibility | ||
ONTARIO ACHIEVING INNOVATION & MANUFACTURING EXCELLENCE GLOBAL INITIATIVE | Funding: Up to $100,000
Southern Ontario manufacturers undertaking training or skills-upgrading activities which will support innovation at the manufacturing facilities. All initiatives must support innovation which will lead to new global export opportunities or create new global markets. Employer eligibility include:
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NORTHERN ONTARIO HERITAGE FUND CORPORATION | Funding: 50 – 75% of eligible expenses. There are 6 funding programs:
Eligibility: See each program for individual eligibility requirements.
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EASTERN ONTARIO DEVELOPMENT FUND | Funding:
Business projects
Community and regional development projects
Eligibility: Businesses that support economic development in Eastern Ontario. This includes job creation, innovation, and the ability to attract private sector investment. |
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SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO DEVELOPMENT FUND | Funding:
Business projects
Community and regional development projects
Eligibility: Businesses that support economic development in Southwestern Ontario. This includes job creation, innovation, and the ability to attract private sector investment. |
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ABORGINAL PARTICIPATION FUND | Funding: There are five streams available:
Eligibility: Funding is available to indigenous communities in Ontario. See each program for individual eligibility requirements. |
Funding Organization | Eligibility | ||
NEWFOUNDLAND/LABRADOR BUSINESS INVESTMENT FUND | Funding: Up to $500,000 per year in repayable term loans
Eligibility:
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NOVA SCOTIA GRADUATE TO OPPORTUNITY | Funding: Employers receive 25% of the first year’s salary (35% if the new graduate is a member of designated diversity group and 12.5% of the second year’s salary.)
Eligibility:
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NOVA SCOTIA WORKPLACE INNOVATION AND PRODUCTIVITY SKILLS INCENTIVE | Funding: Up to 100% of your training costs to be covered up to $10,000. For larger businesses, WIPSI provides up to 50% of direct training costs
Eligibility:
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PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND SMALL BUSINESS INVESTMENT GRANT | Funding: 15% of actual eligible cost as determined at the time of your request for reimbursement – resulting in a maximum grant of $3,750.
Eligibility:
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Funding Organization | Eligibility | ||
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT PROJECT FUND (BDPF) | Funding: There are two programs for small business:
1) Core BDPF
2) BDPF Aftercare
Eligibility: Only businesses with $500,000 or less in annual revenues are eligible to apply. |
Funding Organization | Eligibility | ||
REGIONAL INNOVATION ECOSYSTEMS | Funding: Up to 100% of approved project costs
Eligibility: Your project must support one of the following two priority areas:
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SASKATCHEWAN JOB GRANT | Funding: Multiple grant applications to a maximum of $100,000 per year and up to $10,000 per individual for employee training.
Employer eligibility:
Trainee eligibility:
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Canada Summer Jobs is an initiative of the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy, which aims to provide flexible and holistic services to support all young Canadians develop the skills and gain paid work experience to successfully transition in the labour market.
The program provides wage subsidies to create quality summer work experiences for young people aged 15 to 30 years.
Organization Eligibility:
- Not-for-profit organization (eligible for wage subsidies up to 100% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage)
- Public-sector organization (eligible for wage subsidies up to 50% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage)
- Small businesses with less than 50 full-time employees (eligible for wage subsidies up to 50% of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage)
Student Eligibility:
- Full-time student returning to full-time studies after summer work term
- Student between the ages of 15 – 30
- Student that is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to who refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of employment
For more information, please visit the Government of Canada website.
Hire Students – FAQs
About the McMaster Engineering Co-op Program
Co-op students in the Faculty of Engineering are available from the following programs:
- Bachelor of Engineering
- Computer Science
- Integrated Biomedical Engineering & Health Sciences
- Bachelor of Technology
- Bachelor of Technology, Degree Completion Program
- Graduate Studies (Masters and PhD)
McMaster Engineering’s Co-op program is a highly flexible and customizable co-op program. We have students available from various programs, year round. For more information, visit our Co-op Recruitment Cycles tab.
Yes, many of our co-op students are offered full-time permanent positions after they graduate. Co-op programs are a great way to find future students for full-time, new graduate positions. Co-op students can only be hired while they are still completing academic studies, as co-op experiences must occur between two academic terms.
If a co-op position is in Ontario, and the company is not a government institution, they are eligible to receive an Ontario Tax Credit for hiring a co-op student from the provincial government. This is given to employers who hire co-op students and is worth a maximum of $3000. The reimbursement varies per position. For full details and to see additional funding options, please click here.
The Engineering Co-op and Career Services Office sends tax credits letters to employers once all the expectations and requirements of both the employer and student have been met. More information on what needs to be done on the employer end can be found on our expectations tab.
All work term opportunities must be compensated by the employer. Compensation for work terms varies widely depending on employer, industry of employment, program of study, and overall work experience.
In 2021/2022, the average hourly wage for Faculty of Engineering co-op students was $23.00 per hour. Our wage range was $15.00 – $63.00 per hour.
For more information on average salaries, please contact us.
Other than verifying if the work meets the requirements to qualify for co-op, there are additional expectations for employers. Please visit the expectations tab for more information.
For a position to be verified as an eligible co-op experience, it must meet the following minimum requirements:
- The role needs to be related to engineering and/or technology.
- The role needs to be a minimum of 12-consecutive weeks in duration, for every 16-week employment term.
- The role needs to be full-time hours. The minimum requirement is 35 hours per week.
- The roles must be paid, and the wages/salary need to meet provincial or territorial minimums. The current minimum wage requirement for Ontario employers is $15.50/hour.
All McMaster Engineering co-op students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner throughout their participation in the co-op program as outlined in our Policies and Expectations.
Need more information?
If you are an employer and would like to learn more information about our co-op program, please contact our team at engcoop@mcmaster.ca
Contact Us
General Employer Inquiries
For questions about the McMaster Engineering co-op program, the recruitment process and hiring a co-op student (including posting jobs, interviews, job offers, student eligibility, co-op tax credits and SWPP), please contact our team at engcoop@mcmaster.ca

Tolulope Oyetunji
Recruitment Assistant, Engineering Co-op and Career Services – JHE H301
Tiago Lourenco
Recruitment Assistant, Engineering Co-op and Career Services – JHE H301Engineering Co-op & Career Services
McMaster University
John Hodgins Engineering Building, H301
1280 Main Street West Hamilton, ON L8S 4L7
Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. (Monday to Friday)
Email: engcoop@mcmaster.ca
Talent Partnerships & Employer Engagement
Our talent partnerships and employer engagement team supports all industry employers and engineering alumni to recruit and engage with engineering talent. Contact our team to learn how to best engage with Faculty of Engineering students, recruit students, post-co-op and new graduate jobs, and attend career events or invite students to join your organization.

Rachelle Ireson
Manager, Talent Partnerships & Employer Relations, Engineering Co-op & Career Services

Rachelle Ireson
Manager, Talent Partnerships & Employer Relations, Engineering Co-op & Career Services – JHE H301
Adam Pepler
Talent Partnership Consultant, Engineering Co-op and Career Services – JHE H301
Megan Donohue
Talent Partnership Consultant, Engineering Co-op and Career Services – JHE H301
Alannah Saccone
Talent Partnership Consultant, Engineering Co-op and Career Services (On Leave) – JHE H301