Background
In Jan of 2021, WARG hired 2 co-ops - it was the first time that this generation of the team had hired co-ops before, and thus the team’s organization of how to hire and manage them was completely thrown off. Sahil Kale developed the WARG co-op program shortly after in an attempt to ensure that co-ops had adequate supervision and had regular reviews and enough work. This document is intended to be the manual for running the co-op program
Before hiring
Before hiring a co-op, it is good to establish a motivation for why you’d like a co-op. New co-op managers tend to underestimate just how much time a co-op can put into the team as it is their full-time job for the next few months.
In our experience, co-ops have had the most success when given a project that
They have full ownership over
Is a long-term endeavour
Self-contained (i.e. does not rely on others completing stuff or blocks others)
A project meeting these specifications means that the co-op can self-direct questions and avoid on waiting for people to finish tasks while they idle. Examples include
Auto takeoff/landing module
Auto taxi module
Groundstation development
PID Tuning Rig
Hiring & Onboarding
WARG has internal documents on how to hire. See here: Admin Process for hiring co-ops
Throughout the co-op period
Daily Contact
Daily contact is something that is mandated by the SDC co-op regulations. This can be satisfied by a standing morning meeting on discord or in the bay, and doesn’t need to be long at all. ~10 minutes is all it usually is.
Monthly Internship Reviews
Every month, a co-op review shall be held between the supervisor and the student. See instructions here. Monthly internship reviews
Managing a co-op
Advice for new managers is here: Advice for New Co-Op Managers . Don’t hesitate to reach out to past co-op managers and team leadership for advice and assistance.
Offboarding
For co-op supervisor
Submit the co-op evaluation on CECA
This replaces the final co-op review as you and the student fill it out together
Compile feedback on what we can do better and modify the internship program.
For co-op student
Return all equipment loaned by the team, or provide option to pay for items by shipping replacements to the bay.