Tip Sheets
Several years ago the Ontario Ministry of Education suggested that it would be a good idea to have a short tip sheet that could be handed out to potential employers of co-op students to give them some advice for supervising young workers.
The request went out to Ontario's health and safety system, the idea grew, and through a collaborative process four tip sheets were created.
Tips for Young Workers [PDF 1 MB] Updated
Tips for Employers [PDF 1 MB] Updated
Tips for Supervisors [PDF 1 MB] Updated
Tips for Parents [PDF 1 MB] Updated
Tips for employers and tips for supervisors
There are tip sheets offering advice for employers of young workers and tips for supervisors, to make them aware that extra care and attention is needed when employing young workers. These would be ideal to hand out when doing an assessment of a workplace for a co-op placement. It's a way of letting potential employers know what kind of orientation and supervision you expect you students to receive.
Tips for young workers
There's also a tip sheet for young workers themselves. It points out some of the things young workers often think about before they start a job and suggests a number of things young people should be thinking about when they start a new job to protect themselves. There's also a table with the minimum ages for work in various types of workplaces.
Tips for parents
The fourth tip sheet is for parents and encourages them to ask specific questions about the jobs their children are doing. Many parents assume that someone is looking after their kids at work and, while many workplaces have a strong commitment to safety and provide excellent supervision, this is not always the case. Some teachers hand this tip sheet out at parent-teacher meetings, particularly before the summer hiring season begins.
Bright Idea!
Post the tip sheets for parents and young workers on your school or Board's website, or hand out hard copies at school council meetings.
