ABSTRACT
Cooperative education has its beginnings in 1906 at the University of Cincinnati, US, when Herman Schneider introduced relevant work experience as part of the engineering curriculum, referring to it as the "cooperative plan". The history of development of cooperative education in the US is of interest to the Asian region as there are some similarities with the expanding of cooperative education in the Asian region. Governments have a vested interest to invest more in education as it will drive further economic growth and allow for the development of the Knowledge Economy. The shift to learner-centred education has begun in many areas of the Western world; however, to adopt. The concept and intent of cooperative education spans all cultures and is not limited by context; however, the enactment and practice of those concepts and intents must be contextualised to the cultural context within it is situated.
