Co-op program details

Program details

Credential: 2-Year Ontario College Diploma

This two-year Ontario College Diploma co-op program is designed to provide students with broad exposure to business with a specialization in general insurance including property and casualty insurance. The program prepares students for work in the insurance industry in the areas of underwriting, claims, marketing and management. Students will have the opportunity to gain three credits required for the Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) designation from the Insurance Institute of Canada before the work term, and nine of the ten before graduation.

Graduates will be prepared for a wide variety of employment opportunities in insurance companies, independent adjusting firms, insurance brokerage firms, insurance agencies and other related business organizations.

Student availability & wage data

Conestoga College facilitates recruitment on an ongoing basis - there are no hard deadlines. Typical time frames for work terms are listed below.

Postings are accepted beginning four months before the start of a term until all students have secured employment provided the minimum 12 consecutive weeks of full-time work is met.

Work/Study Sequence

Year Fall (Sept - Dec) Winter (Jan - Apr) Spring (May - Aug)
Year 1 Classes Classes (12 weeks) Work Term (17 weeks): $16.55-20
Year 2 Classes Classes (12 weeks)

Conestoga College collects data on hourly wages of co-operative education students and offers suggested ranges as a service to employers for the purpose of establishing fair and competitive compensation.

Our experience has been that employers increase wages as skills increase, particularly when employing students for more advanced work terms. The Co-operative Education Office can provide assistance to employers in establishing appropriate wage rates.

Work term capabilities

  • Apply strategic thinking skills, excellent written and verbal proficiency with the ability to analyze and forecast
  • Apply computer skills in Microsoft Office
  • Apply critical thinking skills to legal situations
  • Prepare potential client quotes, by assessing client needs for insurance coverages
  • Review and interpret policy wordings, acts, regulations, legislation and contracts to confirm coverage
  • Write informal business reports describing facts and events
  • Write formal business reports by researching and integrating primary and secondary sources of information, and by organizing the information in an acceptable format
  • Use appropriate graphic aids as a means of effectively presenting factual information
  • Convey facts and ideas by using effective writing techniques
  • Prepare thoroughly for a major presentation, including the development of speaking notes and visual aids such as slides and transparencies

Sample job titles

  • Assistant Claims Examiner
  • Assistant Contract Analyst
  • Assistant Insurance Adjuster
  • Claims Assistant
  • Claims Consultant
  • Claims Representative
  • Personal Lines Underwriting Trainee
  • Personal or Commercial Lines Customer Service Representative
  • Sales Broker Trainee

Program courses

To see a typical course list for this program, see the current program course information.

Post a co-op job now

Setup an account or login to Conestoga's MyCareer to post a job.

Contact information

Do you need help developing a recruitment plan or job posting, accessing wage information, or connecting with a talented co-op student? Contact:

Bailey Binns-Franchetto
Employer Relations Consultant
bbinnsfranchetto@conestogac.on.ca