Information for Employers

The Mechanical Technology Department at Broome Community College is very interested in working with local industry to assure that graduates of all our programs are entering the job market with the knowledge and skills to succeed.

To assure our graduates are meeting this need, the MT department has recently reached out to local employers in several ways.

• In October 2000, representatives from IBM, Amphenol Aerospace, Phillips Foundry, Binghamton Simulator, Universal Instruments, Sanmina, Raymond, and RIT spent two days at BCC assisting MT faculty in developing a "Profile for Mechanical Engineering Technician".

The MET Curriculum Review Committee has since revised the Mechanical Engineering Technology, Associate in Applied Science Curriculum to put it more in line with this newly created "Profile".

• In February 2001, the MT department initiated a Cooperative Education Program. Thirteen students have since participated in part-time jobs directly related to their field of study while continuing to take classes at BCC. Participating companies include IBM, BAE Systems Controls, J&K Plumbing and Heating, Johnson Outdoors, D&R Technical Solutions and PB Industries.
  
  
• In March 2002, the MT department revised its Industrial Technology sequences to reflect the local need for students trained in the Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) and the Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) areas. The Mechanical/CADCAM sequence in the Industrial Technology program is reflected in the new college catalog.

In addition to these recent successes, the MT department meets at least once each year with its Curriculum Advisory Council. This council is made up of representatives from local industry whose purpose is to aid the MT department in:

1. maintaining an awareness of the changing skill and training needs of a highly literate, technological and industrialized society.
2. establishing communication among the College, the community, employers and educational representatives as a means of furthering common education and career goals.
3. advising and updating the college regarding career curricula.

The current council is made up of representatives from IBM, RIT, Universal Instruments, Raymond, Endicott Interconnect Technologies, BAE Systems, J&K Plumbing and Heating, Empire Plastics, and Applied Technology Mfg. Corp.

The Mechanical Technology Department encourages local employers to share their training needs with us. Revisions to our AAS degree programs, as well as new Certificate and Certificate of Completion programs may be possible.

Cooperative Education Program

What Is Cooperative Education? Cooperative Education in the MT Department at Broome Community College is defined as part-time, paid work experience directly related to the student's field of study. Students in the Mechanical Engineering Technology and Industrial Technology-Mechanical / CADCAM programs participate.

Why Hire A Co-op Student? Hiring a MT co-op student:

• provides a ready source for obtaining employees.
• satisfies immediate and long-term needs at a relatively low cost.
• reduces the cost of recruiting and training if the co-op student is hired full time.
• helps current employees find time for those hard-to-get-to tasks.
• establishes productive relationships between industry and college.

When Are Co-op Students Available?

MT co-op students are full-time, day students at BCC who are required to register in MET298 Cooperative Work Experience each semester. Their work terms should correspond to the length of the academic semester and their work hours should be flexible enough to allow them to satisfy their educational goals while still being productive employees. The recommended number of hours a co-op student should work each week is based on the student's credit load as follows:

How Do You Hire A Co-op Student?

Simply contact the MT Department at (607) 778-5010 and ask for the Department Chairman. You will be asked to submit a thorough job description, along with the weekly work times available to students. We will supply you with candidate names. (Candidates must have completed 24 credit hours and maintain a GPA of 2.2 or higher in an MT Program.) You then hire the candidate of your choice.

What Is Expected Of You After Hiring?

After hiring a co-op student, be ready to provide appropriate orientation, supervision, and performance evaluation. You should provide frequent feedback to the co-op student about performance. In addition, toward the end of each academic semester, you will receive from BCC a co-op Student Evaluation Form that needs to be completed and returned to the MT Department in order for the students to receive college credit for the co-op experience.

It is important that you promote the value of education to the co-op student and help the student understand the connection between higher education and higher paying, more satisfying employment.

Are Co-op Students Available For More Than One Semester? Summer?

Participating students may be either first or second year students. Some will be available to register for MET298 Cooperative Work Experience for more than one consecutive academic semester if they maintain their eligibility requirements. MET298 will not be offered to students in the summer. Summer work agreements are strictly between employer and student.

The MT Department encourages employers to hire the same student for more than one semester. Job responsibilities should reflect student progress. Employers will be notified if students fail to meet eligibility requirements.