Co-op / Intern Development
Process Optimization, Sustainable Manufacturing and Troubleshooting
University-Corporate Partners
Turn Your Co-op/Intern Program into a Powerhouse for Innovation and Results!
Train your engineering students and improve manufacturing efficiency simultaneously with stand-alone process optimization, sustainable manufacturing, and troubleshooting projects!
Key benefits for employers include:
• Improved process efficiency
• Improved skill readiness and faster student ramp-up at your facility
• Reduced supervisory burden through structured development support
• Reduced idle time
• Enhanced student engagement and performance
• A stronger, more predictable pipeline of well-prepared talent
Engineering Managers
Do you feel added pressure taking on a co-op or intern when your schedule is already full?
You are not alone.
The #1 reason for not placing an engineering co-op/intern is supervision time constraint. It accounts for 25% to 35% of all co-op/intern hiring objections.
Manager Supervision Time
Over a 12-week period, engineering co-ops/interns typically require between 40 to 200 hours of time from a supervisor, mentors, engineers and other technical professionals.
In addition, an average of 40% of first year co-ops/interns never work at the company again. That can add up to a significant amount of valuable technical hours lost!
Co-op/Intern Idle Time
Engineering co-ops/interns typically spend between 20% to 60% of their time being idle. A well-structured program tends to be on the lower side, while a more ad hoc progam tends to be on the higher side.
Also, when engineering students are hired for supervised projects, typically there are multiple excessive periods when they are non-productive, waiting for assistance.
Spotting idle time is often hard since co-ops/interns can easily look busy while accomplishing nothing of value.
Idle time erodes value for both the employer and the intern, costing the business productivity, project momentum, and future talent, while leaving the co-op/intern disengaged, under-skilled, and disconnected from the team.
Idle Time is
Bad for the Company
- Lost productivity from a paid role
- Missed chance to develop and evaluate future hire
- May reflect disorganized teams or company
Idle Time is
Bad for the Student
- Wasted learning opportunity
- Frustration, loss of confidence, or boredom
- Negative impression of the company
“I felt like I was just sitting there waiting to be useful.” – Mechanical Engineering Intern, Georgia Tech Co-op Survey
“I ‘d rather do meaningful work than sit around making good money doing nothing.” – Engineering Co-op, University of Michigan Survey
Technical Skills
- Technical Skills – Trains for technical skills and knowledge required on a specific system or manufacturing process.
- Process Optimization – Teaches process optimization to identify and improve inefficiencies in manufacturing.
- Sustainable Manufacturing – Teaches sustainable manufacturing practices that directly impact manufacturing cost.
- Best Practices – Teaches system and process best practices.
- Skill Gaps – Is designed to cover skill gaps.
- Knowledge Retention – Captures knowledge that could be lost due to turnover.
- Knowledge Transfer – Expands your team’s process efficiency knowledge and expertise to multiple systems.
- Adaptable Training Method – Can be used individually and with teams.
Problem-Solving /
Analytical Skills
- Engineering Calculations – Included to enable intern to apply engineering principles in real-world situations.
- Problem Solving – Teaches advanced problem solving in manufacturing.
- Data Interpretation – Developes the ability to analyze performance metrics and trends.
- Critical Thinking – Fosters critical thinking skills for developing logical and innovative solutions to engineering challenges.
Communication / Collaboration Skills
- Communication and Team Collaboration – Develops skills in working effectively with operators, engineers, and management to gather project data.
- Technical Writing – Documenting findings, creating reports, and writing SOPs.
- Presentation Skills – Develops the ability to effectively communicate results to engineers, managers, stakeholders.
- Professionalism and Workplace Etiquette – Fosters understanding of workplace culture, ethics, and responsibility.
Project Management / Organization Skills
- Project Management – Creating and executing a project within a team environment, engineering documentation skills, planning and scheduling, cost justification, presentation skills.
- Time Management – Prioritizing tasks, meeting deadlines, and balancing workload.
- Budget Awareness – Understanding cost implications in engineering decisions.
Adaptability /
Learning Mindset
- Willingness to Learn – Makes learning fun, fostering a willingness to grasp new technologies and methodologies. Includes gamification!
- Handling Feedback – Provides opportunities for constructive feedback to the intern.
- Innovation & Creativity – Encourages thinking outside the box to improve designs and processes.
Customized
- Customized Training – Uses expert system logic to customize to your specific system and process criteria.
- Technical Review – Performs a technical assessment of your system as you train.
- Saves Time – Training is uniquely fitted to your systems and processes. Employees won’t waste time learning information not required for their job.
In-House
- OTJ Training – Training done in your facility at the location of the system or process.
- Simple to Use – Provide fast, actionable results! Use on desktop, tablet and mobile phone.
- Flexible Deployment – You determine the timing that works for your organization, which gives you increased scheduling flexibility.
Delivering Value
- Efficient Time Usage – Provides self-guided projects for engineers, with just simple oversight by managers.
- Engineer Development – Designed to train engineers fast and effectively, while maximizing the efficiency of your process.
- Flexible Pricing – Structured so you only pay for what you need! Simply select the training product that matches your goals, the duration you need it, and train according to your schedule. It’s that easy!
- Rapid ROI – The implementation of just one best practice can pay off quickly. Start saving today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Still Have Questions?
We’re happy to assist. To connect with our team, please complete the form.
