Spring is in the air, and Yavapai College’s National Science Foundation (NSF) grant internships are starting out strong. The NSF has awarded Yavapai College’s Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) in Prescott an $855,350 Advanced Technical Education Grant.
The award will fund “Engineered for Success: Engineering Technician Training for Rural Arizona,” a three-year project designed to expand capacity for high quality engineering technician training, in Central and Northern Arizona. Spring 2018 is the second semester Yavapai College will place students into the NSF internship program.
Each semester, Yavapai College selects seven CTEC students to participate in the NSF internships. Students are selected from four YC programs: Applied Pre-Engineering, Industrial Machine Mechanic, Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) Machining and Electrical Instrumentation Technician. Students placed with local area employers learn hands-on skills in their field of study. YC is committed to the development of strong, working internships with employers in Yavapai County as a way for employers to retain and build a quality workforce. For the spring 2018 semester, Yavapai College is currently working with RESA Wearables founder Glen Hinshaw for the NSF internships.
Prescott Native Glen Hinshaw’s vision began over two decades ago, when he was on the professional road cycling circuit. Hinshaw discovered that custom crafted insoles would benefit his performance and health. He learned that orthopedic labs controlled the industry, which made the task of obtaining custom insoles expensive and tedious. Hinshaw’s mission became clear at this point: make the term “digital footprint” a literal reality.
RESA began working with three YC students via the NSF internship program during the fall 2017 semester, and has accepted four Yavapai College students at RESA for the spring 2018 semester, from Yavapai College’s Applied Pre-Engineering program.
The interns at RESA are learning hands-on skills in troubleshooting and fabrication with the proprietary 3D printers, which make custom insoles in about an hour. The RESA interns are applying their classroom and lab training to the hands-on skills needed in the manufacturing of RESA products.
Yavapai College is also collaborating with RESA to train new technicians in the Electrical and Networking field, with the responsibility to train students to work in three areas at RESA: production, operating and maintaining propriety equipment and sales of RESA wear insoles.
Yavapai College’s RESA training program features six courses including electronics fundamentals, digital systems, 3D printer operation and maintenance, embedded systems and IoT and basic advanced networking. Classes run Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the internship at RESA is Thursdays and Fridays. Student interns are paid $14 an hour to start while they are in the program, with the opportunity to earn $25 an hour upon competition of the training program. For additional information on Yavapai College’s RESA training program, call 928-717-7721.
The NSF grant will provide paid internships for seven Applied Pre-Engineering/Integrated Systems Technician students each semester. YC’s ability to combine a quality engineering education with paid, practical work experience is a win-win for both YC students and the Yavapai County businesses that employ them.
If you are a local employer interested in working with the NSF internship program, or a prospective YC student hoping to update your employment skills, Yavapai College is here to help. Contact Yavapai College Career Coaches Linda Brannock at 928-776-2170, or James Voska at 928-717-7726. QCBN
By Linda Brannock
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