MARIETTA—One robotics class at Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) opened the door of opportunity for engineering student Harrison Sarver.
Sarver is studying Advanced Manufacturing and Integration and recently found himself in a financial aid predicament that could have resulted in his inability to continue his education. Determined to earn his associate degree and graduate next spring, he decided to get a job to offset his college expenses.
Having recently completed a Robotics class that had a FANUC Handling Tool Operations and Programming certification embedded in the curriculum, he decided he would attempt to get a job with the McConnelsville manufacturing company, Miba Sinter, that employs the use of FANUC robots.
“I just walked in, introduced myself, and showed them my certification and that I was on the President’s List,” explained Sarver. The FANUC certification quickly drew MIBA’s attention and following a phone call to corporate headquarters in Laakirchen, Austria, Sarver was granted an internship with the international company.
“Harrison is a perfect example of what we are doing here to help our students stand out in the job market. The credentials that we are embedding into our curriculum are designed to make them employable after taking as few as one class,” said WSCO Dean of Business and Engineering George Bilokonsky. “
“We’re also here to meet the demands of industry and they want a quick turnaround,” Bilokonsky continued. “One class, one credential leads to a better employee which can make a huge difference to a company’s bottom line.”
WSCO President Dr. Vicky Wood explained that the college is focused on fortifying the future of its students as well as the community. “We are continuing to strengthen our partnerships with business and industry to help them fill their workforce gaps. Our new 8-week course delivery model will help people quickly learn a skill, earn a credential, and enter the workforce.”
She added, “We want to help the unemployed and under-employed get the training they need to make a life-sustaining wage with the benefits. We are also helping people already employed upskill for advancement opportunities.”
Sarver said it has always been his plan to work at Miba after graduating: “It’s kind of a big deal because this is where I want to end up eventually.” As a result, he’s using the internship as his foot in the door and is working to establish himself as someone the company will want on their team full-time.
