Square D Team Says Tri-County Prepared Them for the Workplace

CONTACT: LISA GARRETT, EXT. 1506

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/6/2003
(By Lisa Garrett)

SENECA --- Mark Crooks' co-workers at Square D nod their heads in agreement when he talks about how Tri-County connects classroom instruction with the workplace – just as advertised on its billboards, which read College for the Real World.

That's an accurate description, these graduates of various Tri-County departments say when their talk about their experiences at the College and the opportunities their degrees have afforded them.

There are around 100 associates working in Square D's Seneca location who are alumni of the College. Their positions range from Production Supervisors to CAD Designers to Quality Assurance Analysts to Application Engineers.

"Tri-County's grads are very well structured for the real world," agrees Plant Manager Larry Smith, who says that Tri-County graduates fill many jobs in the technical support areas of the plant. "We consider Tri-County's training and background to be excellent preparation for our type of work. These two-year graduates (most of whom are from the Industrial Electronics and Electronics Engineering curricula) give us a significant advantage. Our products are "Build-to-Order", not off the shelf. These team members add significant value for our customers, thanks to the knowledge and preparation they have acquired from their Tri-County experiences."

A two-year degree is a requirement of working in the quality control and engineering areas of the plant and provides a sound basis for promotional opportunities within the company.

Barbara Barnes, of Westminster, now a quality control analyst, began working there 14 years ago on the shop floor and advanced from building units to quality control following the completion of her Industrial Electronics degree in 1999.

A decade after finishing high school, she returned to school to get a better job and to make more money. "I wanted a promotion, and I went for the degree which prepared me with hands-on training," said Barnes.

Mary Scott, a 1979 alumna of the associate in Arts program, entered Tri-County on a scholarship after high school. She remembers people telling her about Tri-County counselors' interest in students and help with making good decisions. "I found that to be very true. You develop a good one-on-one relationship with instructors."

Scott has been at Square D for 15 years and has worked every department of the plant beginning in assembly and moving on to advertising, marketing and now customer service. She says the variety of university transfer classes (such as psychology) help "in dealing with people and adjusting your attitude to the circumstances."

Crooks, of Pendleton, entered Tri-County's Industrial Engineering Technology department right out of high school. "It was a fast and affordable way to get a college degree. He joined Square D 17 years ago and today is a senior application engineer.

Ryan Griffin, of Anderson, a fabrication supervisor, is also an IET graduate (1992). He wanted to learn more about motor controls and signed up for Tri-County classes. "The curriculum went hand-in-hand with the job. It was almost like the motor controls class was designed just for Square D."

Robert Pressley, of Westminster, is a senior engineering designer and a 2000 graduate of the Computer Technology department. "Tri-County isn't easy -- the curriculum is challenging."

He says instructors like Dr. John Bernard enhance the "real-world" curriculum with their knowledge and accessibility. "Unless you've touched it, it's just a theory. You can't get experience any other way."

Pressley, who was a night student who finished in two years, said he appreciated the instructor's credentials, which included experience in industry. "They have so much knowledge that's just not in a textbook." Pressley added that his Tri-County degree (with its transfer credits) enabled him to receive a military degree in aircraft armament system.

All agree night school is difficult and time consuming when you are managing multiple priorities and responsibilities, but Griffin says you get used to the routine of 10-hour days, five days a week. He went to evening classes for three consecutive years. "But," he said, "the result was personal satisfaction and a pay increase. And a two-year gives you a taste for the four-year degree." Crooks is among those who is pursuing a business degree at Southern Wesleyan University.

Scott says the bottom line is that "Tri-County instructors expect you to perform at a certain level and consequently you are well prepared for the workplace."
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