Heavy Equipment Attracts Future Technicians
Students
from area career centers and high schools annually converge on
the Heavy Equipment Technology program at Ferris State for its
“Heavy Equipment Technicians of the Future” day.
The day focuses attention on careers in the heavy
equipment industry. The event attracts representatives from such
companies as Cummins Michigan Power, Michigan Caterpillar, BIS,
Sparta Farm Equipment, Equity Trucking Company and others who
recruit Ferris State graduates.
“The representatives talk to the students about
sponsorship programs they have, some of the scholarships that
are available—the contact makes it more personal,”
says department Chair Keith Cripe. “We want to show students
all the different jobs that are available.”
Current students are “heavily” involved
in putting on the career day. Second and third semester students
give tours and talk about the HET program, while first semester
students grill lunch for approximately 350 prospective students
in attendance. Other highlights include displays concerning electrical
power generation and hydraulics, and inspection of the Equity
show truck with its student-installed engine.
Cummins representative and Ferris State grad Jeff
Amo explains the importance of the HET program to his company.
“Our objective is to work with universities
that offer programs like this to help them attract high school
students,” Amo says. “There’s a lot of misperception
about this industry. We have great wages, great working environments
and lots of challenges. Kids don’t realize that.”
Wesley Winn with Michigan Caterpillar agrees, “There
are wonderful career opportunities out there.”
Amo thinks the full range of those opportunities is
available to Ferris grads.
“We find that the Ferris students we hire are
very well rounded,” Amo says. “Because Ferris State
emphasizes math and language skills as part of the program, the
graduates we bring in are much more promotable and have the skills
they need if they want to go into management. Fifty percent of
our management is made up of Ferris graduates, and most of them
started right on the shop floor.”
