Onondaga Community College’s Whitney Applied Technology Center buzzed with energy as employers from across Central New York arrived for the Engineering Science and Technology Open House. It was a workforce-focused event designed to showcase the college’s newest learning spaces and the students who bring them to life.
The event included guided tours through a series of state-of-the-art labs that reflect OCC’s investment in preparing students for the region’s rapidly evolving technical workforce. Employers explored the CNC Machining Lab, Welding Lab, and the Micron Cleanroom Simulation Lab, innovative spaces built to mirror the environments graduates will encounter in industry. And for the first time, visitors experienced the new System Integration and Troubleshooting Lab, where students proudly demonstrated their semester-long projects, walking guests through circuits, controllers, and automated systems they designed and built themselves.
"We were very pleased with the wide array of employers who joined us," said Professor Mike Grieb of the Engineering Science and Technology Department. "It was a great opportunity to showcase our new lab spaces, educational pathways, and the success of our students. Employers were excited to learn about the skills our students are learning, and how to recruit them into careers across Central New York."
The Open House also doubled as a celebration for students' accomplishments. One of those successful students was Jerome Taylor, who came to OCC from the Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central. He's completing his degree in Electromechanical Technology this semester, and is already working at TTM Technologies in East Syracuse, where he turned a summer internship into a job. "Everything I did there I had done here in school. OCC is a great school. The support is good. You have one-on-ones with professors and office hours. You have the support that makes your college life better."
Among the nearly three dozen industry partners in attendance was Joe Morak, a Model Shop Manager at JMA Wireless and a 1993 graduate of OCC's Mechanical Technology program. Morak has remained closely involved with the college, collaborating with faculty in the development of new programs and contributing significantly to the creation of the CNC Machining Lab. "They're changing with the times," he said as he toured the updated facility. "They've made very good use of the space. It's updated and fresh, which makes the students automatically engage more. OCC has the staff, equipment, and adaptive curriculums to educate the needs of the community for decades to come. The business community needs skilled workers. You now have a place where students will want to enroll in the classes, and in turn the employers will want to hire because they are properly educated."
The event wrapped with an Advisory Board and Employer Meeting - another opportunity for industry leaders and educators to collaborate on ensuring students gain the skills required for the jobs of tomorrow.
Regional employers who attended included:
Airport Lighting Company
Anheuser Busch
Armstrong Mold
Amazon/CBRE
Bluefors
CED Baldwin Hall
CenterState CEO
Constellation
CS Automation
Department of Transportation
Falk Precision
GA Braun
Hidden Level
Huhtamaki
ICM Controls
Inficon
JMA Wireless
KJ Electric
Legrand
Lockheed Martin
Lotte Biologics
Marq4 Automation
Novelis
Nucor Steel
Ralph W. Earl
Ramboll
Schneider Packaging
SRC
Swagelok
Tessy Plastics
TTM Technologies
Waygate Technologies
Wolfspeed
Young & Franklin
