CAZENOVIA – September 2023 Onondaga-Cortland-Madison (OCM) BOCES will launch a new two-year Career and Technical Education (CTE) Engineering Technology program that will allow high school students in the area to study at the Marquardt Switches , Inc., and works side by side with industry professionals at the company’s North American headquarters in Cazenovia, 2711 Route 20 East.
According to Jan. In a press release on 19.19 announcing the partnership, Marquardt is a total solutions provider for the automotive, off-road and home industries and is expanding into the defense, aerospace, drone and medical markets. It provides prototyping, testing services, device building and automation, product assembly and supply chain management – all under one roof.
The new engineering technology program, designed for juniors and seniors, is designed to expose students to engineering concepts and practices, prepare them for college and careers in the field, and prepare students for the rapidly growing high-tech industry. batch of talents.
“At Marquardt, our goal is to inspire local students in our community to become the next generation of innovators and problem solvers,” said Traci Schaumberg, Head of Marketing Communications for Marquardt USA, “This partnership began between OCM BOCES and Marquardt, As a way to help students get out of the classroom and into real life exposure to the latest technologies and processes that manufacturers use in today’s industry. This gives students an early look at the career paths available and which they may want to pursue in the future. Additionally, manufacturing Businesses can provide students with mentors who can provide invaluable advice and guidance on how to succeed. Marquardt and OCM BOCES are working together to help bridge the gap between education and industry.”
Students in the program will spend five days a week, or approximately two and a half hours, at Marquardt during their junior and senior years. The other half of each day will be spent at the student’s school. Students will travel to and from the facility by bus each day.
“This two-year program allows students to build on their foundational studies and work in areas of specialization and active projects that interest Marquardt,” said Eric Comtois, Director of CTE and Innovation Education at OCM BOCES.
According to Schaumberg, the main focus of the two-year program will be launching a product for an electric vehicle company. As they work on the project, students will work with multiple departments at Marquardt, including engineering, sales, project management and operations.
“Students will experience the entire product engineering process with a real product that Marquardt helped develop and build for an electric vehicle company,” Schaumberg said. “This includes focusing students on several areas of development and engineering, the planning process, and ultimately understanding how we Put the product into mass production.”
Classroom courses will be taught by certified OCM BOCES CTE instructors.
“The classrooms are right inside Marquardt,” said Christopher DiFulvio, superintendent of the Cazenovia Central School District. “That makes this a unique and exciting opportunity for students. They’ll see what engineers are doing and even collaborate with them in the process.”
Comtois explained that the OCM BOCES CTE instructors will instruct students, teach engineering theory and act as liaisons between BOCES and Marquardt.
“The teachers will facilitate learning that is relevant and consistent with the practical experience available in the field,” he added. “BOCES will work with Marquardt to support resource and technology needs. interests and passions, and provide students with authentic learning opportunities in a dynamic environment.”
According to DiFulvio, there are college credits associated with the OCM BOCES CTE program, but the specific universities and number of credits have not been disclosed.
To maximize opportunities for students in the program’s first year, Comtois said, about 8 to 10 first-year (junior) students from the district will be admitted next fall. The exact number of students at Cazenovia High School has not yet been determined.
“We are currently gathering the number of students from all of our constituent regions who are interested in participating in the program,” he said.
Thursday, February. On February 2, OCM BOCES and Marquardt hosted two open houses for prospective students and their families at the company’s Route 20 facility.
Learn more about OCM BOCES at ocmboces.org. Learn more about Marquardt at Marquardt-Us-Partners.com (Cazenovia) and Marquardt.com/us (International).