From the Ground Up: Building a Co-op through College-Employer Partnership

Join us for an in-depth, practical session on how to build and scale a successful business cooperative education (co-op) program through strategic employer partnerships. Using the newly launched Baruch College–Deloitte co-op program as a model, this session will provide a step-by-step look into the development process—from ideation to execution.

Presenters will walk through the key challenges they encountered and share the strategies that helped them overcome institutional and logistical roadblocks. You’ll explore the full structure of a two-semester co-op model that combines career readiness coursework with full-time, paid work experience, offering students a unique opportunity to build professional skills, grow their networks, and earn income to help support their education.

The session will also highlight how Baruch intentionally designed the program by partnering with focused campus programs such as those working with community college transfer students, and setting a minimum wage of $21/hour for all co-op roles. In addition, the college will share insights into the employer perspective, including how Deloitte, Baruch’s lead employer partner, created roles specifically for the program, built organizational buy-in, and developed a talent pipeline to convert co-op students into returning interns and full-time hires.

Presenters include a senior academic leader from Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business, who oversees all undergraduate academic programs and spearheaded the co-op initiative, as well as the school’s co-op program lead. Joining for the Q&A portion will be a senior Deloitte executive and Baruch alumnus, who helped architect the employer-side strategy and manages the Baruch/Deloitte recruiting relationship.

This is a must-attend session for institutions and employers looking to design impactful, inclusive experiential learning programs that drive both career readiness and upward economic mobility.