Thinking Different in Education for Tomorrow’s Jobs
盟友梅尔 | Waupaca铸造.jpg)
冬青法罗 at the Cleveland State 社区 College Signing Day.
Students Rethink the Next Step in Education
There has long been a stigma of choosing to attend a trade school over a four-year college. But as the price of tuition for universities has soared, the demand for workers has become more precedent, and the want of students to obtain a degree that is more niche to their future employment opportunities has increased, the value of trade schools in today’s economy is invaluable.
冬青法罗, general foundry maintenance at Waupaca铸造’s ductile iron foundry in Etowah, 田纳西州, is one of the many who chose to think differently when it came to her education. Farrow faced hardships in high school, choosing the untraditional route of receiving her GED in 2018. 对技术充满热情, Farrow then attended Cleveland State 社区 College to study mechatronics technology and applied for the Advanced Technologies Institute (ATI). Designed for students majoring in Advanced Technology programs, the ATI program allows select students to learn in the classroom and simultaneously apply their education to real-world job experience with local companies. Students attend classes two days per week and then work in their field of study the other 3 days of the week – while earning a competitive wage to offset the costs of tuition, 书, 食宿, 以及额外费用.
“当你找到第一份工作的时候, you don't have a year of experience, and usually most companies want people to have some work experience, 所以这是一个进退两难的局面. I need to get the experience, but if nobody is going to hire me, how will I get that experience? 通过ATI程序, they take in 实习生s with little to no experience and train students for the manufacturing world,法罗说.
2020年秋天, Farrow was entering her last year of college and needed an 实习生ship before graduation. This also marked the first semester students were returning to classrooms since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and there were many unknowns regarding business operations and companies’ ability to offer 实习生ships and work experience. Recognizing a need for skilled labor in the market, Waupaca铸造 joined the ATI program as a partnering manufacturer at the same time.
For young adults, like Farrow, choosing to balance their studies with a job is no easy feat. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2018, only 43 percent of full-time undergraduate students were employed. However, with the right attitude, Waupaca铸造 has witnessed the success of its students.
反思面试过程, 霍莉说, ‘嘿, I just want to be able to take care of myself, 做一个对社会有贡献的人, have a home’ and she was very sincere and adamant that [she’ll] do whatever it takes to find the niche in the world that [she] can do. That dedication just really struck a chord with me,埃里克·扎哈里亚斯说, 埃托瓦的维修经理, 田纳西州, 也是这个项目的主管. “It’s so refreshing to start a program and have someone like Holly kick it off. It’s changed everyone’s attitude when you talk about mentoring, and you have someone like Holly participate. It opened up a lot of doors to do this again.”
Farrow spent the year learning from Waupaca铸造 maintenance members and electricians, 接受安全培训, and studied specialized tasks in the core room to become certified in working with the robots.
“对我来说, [Waupaca铸造] helped reinforce what I learned in the classroom and taught me a few new skills that were specifically in the mechatronics program,法罗说.
The success of Holly’s 实习生ship was also echoed in her studies at Cleveland State 社区 College.
“冬青, and will continue to be throughout the coming years, someone who can be used as a model for not only local manufacturers, but also students in our programs here at CSCC. Her grit, resilience, and drive is one to be acknowledged and celebrated. Her work ethic and soft skills have not only been 实习生ally learned and grown, 但在CSCC这里, we continually and intentionally work to increase these strengths throughout the ATI program as a key piece of the initiatives and goals” Marci R. 德国骑兵,M.A., first year experiences coordinator & associate professor advanced technologies institute consultant, says.
In her last semester of the ATI program, Farrow was offered a full-time job at Waupaca铸造 and accepted.
“I've been really grateful for my opportunity at Waupaca, and I look forward to serving them to the best of my capabilities and continuing to learn and grow, and just stay humble and appreciative … If I could go back in the past to tell my younger self, 我现在在哪里, I don't think I would believe my future self,法罗说.
