Like an industrial matchmaker, the Penn State Learning Factory is once again preparing to pair teams of engineering students with companies, large and small, on semester-long projects.
It's a win-win-win, says director Mary Frecker, a professor of mechanical engineering and bioengineering. “The students can apply all the theory and all they've learned to real-world problems with real-world clients,” she says, getting feedback and mentoring from working professionals. Students propose solutions and are responsible for budgeting, managing design, identifying potential customer needs, prototyping and testing. It's a chance “to interact with professionals and behave as professionals,” she adds, comparing it to a “semester-long job interview.”
Larger sponsoring companies often view the Learning Factory as part of their recruiting process. For smaller companies, the Learning Factory provides a low-risk and low-cost way to engage a semester-long engineering workforce.
PSU doesn't keep track of how many jobs have resulted, but reports that since the Learning Factory's inception in 1995, more than 1,250 projects have been completed for nearly 350 companies. Past projects include the refillable Evive water station in Pittsburgh, an improved “intelligent” walker for TPC Innovation and Design in Hummelstown and an amphibious boat dock dolly for Narrow Valley Engineering.
The Learning Factory is now soliciting proposals from potential company sponsor, a one-page submission of project goals and which types of engineering majors are needed. The deadline is Friday, August 9.
Source: Mary Frecker, PSU Learning Factory
Writer: Elise Vider