Professional Development Partnerships
From the day our students arrive on campus, a variety of professional development programs help them plan their careers and enhance their skills. Industry partners play a key role in this important effort.
The Professional Learning Institute
Two years ago, the College launched the Professional Learning Institute (PLI), which provides students with real-world skills and experience to complement the outstanding technical curricula they receive at Colorado State. A key component of the required curriculum, PLI workshops are taught by volunteer engineers actively working in industry, and focus on important "soft" skills such as project management, leadership, diversity in the workforce, and entrepreneurship -- skills all students will need in order to thrive in their careers.
The College provides assistance to professional engineers interested in presenting a PLI workshop. Each PLI session is "self-contained," meaning that a volunteer can make a great impact on students, with only a relatively small amount of preparation and time commitment.
For more information about how you, your colleagues, and your company can become involved in the PLI, please contact Ashley Waddell, Corporate and Foundation Relations.
An award to encourage an industry-desired skill
While discussing skills that employers look for in graduates, the Electrical and Computer Engineering Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) unanimously agreed that effective communication skills were a critical need. Members of the Board worked with the Denver Section of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the local IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society to fund support for an annual Best Paper Contest. Student papers are judged by the IAB and the IEEE for exceptional technical content, organization, development, clarity, style, and grammar. Through this award support, industry representatives have been able to encourage an important skill, while offering students valuable support as they fund their educations.
To learn more about how your company can fund awards and scholarships that benefit students and industry alike, contact Audra Brickner.
Mentoring
Students and student groups benefit greatly from the opportunity to work with engineering mentors. Whether it is assistance with preparing for interviews, advice on design work, judging design projects, or a quick brainstorming session, professional contacts are invaluable. If you or your organization is interested in sharing your expertise with students, please contact Ashley Waddell, Corporate and Foundation Relations.
Internships & Jobs
Last year, 1285 of our engineering students attended career fairs on campus, and 260 engineering employers were there to recruit them. Some examples from this year: Woodward hired 11 summer interns from CSU and picked up six full-time engineers; Wolf Robotics hired six engineers and eight interns; and Schlumberger hired 11 engineers from this year’s class.
Learn more by visiting "Build Your Workforce," and let us help you and your company interact with and recruit the next generation of rising stars in engineering.