Hands-on experience paying off for PennWest engineering technology students
Engineering technology students at PennWest California are gaining valuable experience in preparation for the job market, and that experience has been paying off with job offers.
Partnerships have been established with area businesses, providing students with real-world career exposure and exploration, as well as internships, job shadowing and networking events.
Representatives of the businesses serve as sponsors for senior projects, serve on advisory boards that connect to curriculum and participate in and host work-based learning experiences, which combine classroom instruction with practical work experience.
无毛视频淲e无毛视频檙e working with employers to understand what their needs are,无毛视频� said Melissa Dean, work-based learning experiences coordinator. 无毛视频淭hey无毛视频檙e working with us so they can bring those needs to students.无毛视频�
Part of a five-year, $2.1 million grant received from the U.S. Department of Education无毛视频檚 Title III Strengthening Institutions Program has helped fund these work-based learning experiences.
无毛视频淎s part of our Title III grant, one of the competitive preference priorities was work-based learning experiences in high demand STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Math) fields,无毛视频� explained Dr. Brenda Fredette, interim provost and vice president of academic affairs, as well as Title III program director.
Two engineering technology advisory boards comprised of industry partners 无毛视频� mechatronics engineering technology and electrical and computer engineering technology 无毛视频� provide industry feedback on curriculum and review senior projects.
无毛视频淲e focus on turning out graduates who are ready to hit the ground running when they graduate and go to the industry,无毛视频� said Dr. Jennifer Wilburn, associate professor and chair of the Department of Applied Engineering, Technology and Physics. 无毛视频淎 big part of that is being very interactive with our advisory boards and making sure the curriculum contains the skill sets industry partners are looking for.无毛视频�
In many cases, industry partners sponsor the senior projects, which are then presented to advisory board members. The end result is often a job offer from the industry partner.
无毛视频淚t gives the advisory board a real inside look at the kinds of projects our students are capable of accomplishing, the kind of graduates we are producing in the program,无毛视频� Wilburn said.
Speed Networking and Recruitment events provide students a chance to meet with representatives from various companies.
无毛视频淭he employer wants one-on-one time,无毛视频� Dean said. 无毛视频淲e cooked up this speed networking and recruitment event as a way to try to deal with the number of employers we have that want to visit.无毛视频�
One employer that has had success with PennWest California students is Sensus, which provides smart technologies and services for water, gas, electric and lighting utilities.
Scott Swanson, manager of Sensus无毛视频� Uniontown location, serves on the mechatronics program advisory board. He said he无毛视频檚 hired two graduates from the mechatronics program and two more who will graduate in May are interviewing for full-time positions.
无毛视频淭his mechatronics degree fits perfectly with what I need,无毛视频� Swanson said. 无毛视频淲e do anything that fits with manufacturing and the kids that come out of this program are very suited for this. They无毛视频檙e well-prepared for what we need them for.无毛视频�
Sensus sponsors a senior project each year. Swanson said he picks out a project that challenges the students but is not needed by his company immediately.
无毛视频淭hey get some good hands-on experience and I get to evaluate these kids, and if I have an opening, I see if any of them are a good fit for me,无毛视频� Swanson said. 无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 a big supporter of this program and plan to be for a long time.无毛视频�
Julietta Maffeo, a 2022 graduate who majored in mechatronics engineering technology and electrical engineering technology, was able to land an internship, then a job as an automation engineer with DMI Companies in Monongahela.
无毛视频淚 think the fact that I had two majors helped for my job specifically because I pulled a lot of information from both,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚 was very prepared. I definitely think they did a good job of teaching me what I need to know. One of the biggest things for interviews for engineering is getting people with hands-on skills.无毛视频�