TOLEDO, Ohio, February 16, 2018 – SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), a global project delivery firm for architecture, engineering, and construction management, will host nearly 40 students from local area high schools, including Dundee, Elmwood, and Springfield, on Tuesday, February 20th as part of Engineers Week. Focused on promoting entry into the engineering profession, Engineers Week takes place February 19 – 26, 2018 in locations across the U.S. Engineering is one of the fastest-growing, best paid careers for recent college graduates and this growth is projected to continue into the future.
Visiting students will get hands-on experience from a team of engineers and technical experts when they spend part of their day at SSOE’s world headquarters in Toledo, Ohio for the “Engineer for a Day” program. The program will be held on Tuesday, February 20th from 12:45 PM until 3:30 PM. Students will attend a luncheon at The University of Toledo College of Engineering before meeting at SSOE. While at SSOE, they will have the opportunity to participate in team building activities, gain insight into the different engineering disciplines, and learn what it takes to become an engineer—and potentially an employee of SSOE.
The program will begin with a high-level overview of Virtual Design and Construction (VDC), presented by Lauren Collier, Department Manager, VDC Global Initiatives, Mark LaBell, Jr., Senior VDC Technical Leader, and Douglas Furia, Project VDC / BIM Specialist. Next, John Colley, PE, Senior Electrical Engineer, will lead a demonstration on electrical engineering titled, “Let’s Build a Motor”, which will expose students to the motor effect and electromagnetism. The day will conclude with Kyle Bosworth, PE, Structural Engineer, leading an activity titled, “Construct a Building Frame”, which will involve students collaborating in teams to construct a building frame out of household products. The frames will then be tested to resist both vertical and horizontal loads—measuring the students’ creativity with various design options in a team environment, while managing a theoretical project budget and schedule.
During the program, students will also learn about SSOE’s student co-op / internship program. This program provides college students with resume building experience, a competitive wage, and college credits. Named a “Great Workplace” for the past 2 years by the independent analysts at Great Place to Work®, SSOE employs an average of nearly 30 co-ops / interns at any given time and provides them with scholarship opportunities and, if later hired full time, tuition reimbursement.
SSOE is committed to preparing students for successful careers by generating interest and improving skills in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. In 2017, the firm partnered with Toledo Public Schools on a pilot apprenticeship program to engage students at the high school / pre-college level and provide them exposure to careers in engineering and architecture.
