Co‐operative education in the pulp and paper sector in Quebec Available to Purchase

Using the concept of “community of practice” and a typology developed by Guile and Griffiths, this article characterizes the quality and the nature of learning students achieved while studying in a newly‐implemented pulp and paper vocational program, structured as a co‐operative education program and offered by six school boards throughout the province of Quebec, Canada. The observations come from a five‐year long action research program involving registered students, trainers in vocational centers, and work supervisors in pulp and paper mills. The conclusion highlights the structural barriers in pulp and paper mills that limit students’ access to operations. This co‐op education program is traditional according to the Guile and Griffiths’ typology.