Industry Leader Offers Co-op Position to Its First Wake Tech Student

RALEIGH, N.C. (June 03, 2013) - ABB, a global leader in power and automation technologies, has strengthened its commitment to Wake Tech and is offering, for the first time, a co-op position to a Wake Tech student. David Wingler, a 26-year-old student who lives near Apex, will work at an ABB facility in New Berlin, Wisconsin this summer. He is pursuing the Associate in Applied Science degree in Electronics Engineering Technology and plans to graduate next year.

ABB is an avid supporter of education in North Carolina. In 2012, the company committed $150,000 over three years to Wake Tech’s major gifts campaign, called “The Ripple Effect.” ABB’s commitment includes financial support for scholarships and faculty innovation, as well as in-kind donations of equipment.

“Forming corporate partnerships and building on them is crucial for Wake Tech,” says President Dr. Stephen Scott. “They extend Wake Tech’s reach, allowing us to leverage our technology (and other) resources and provide so much more opportunity for students and faculty, as well as serving the community and the whole region more effectively.”

Corporate partnerships benefit everyone involved. In the case of ABB, students receive training on modern systems, products, and services, and have access to scholarships and employment opportunities. Wake Tech benefits from modernized labs and receives insight into industry needs that helps the college adapt curriculum. The arrangement helps boost ABB’s pool of skilled and trained resources, and its employees get leadership and mentor opportunities.

“Corporate partnerships like the one we have with Wake Tech are vital for our community,” says ABB Project Manager Nathan Becker. “The ultimate goal of these partnerships is to create jobs and a pool of qualified candidates for those jobs.”

So far, the Ripple Effect campaign has raised $11.7 million toward its goal of $12.5 million.