ROSEBURG, Oregon – On Friday, March 2, Umpqua Community College (UCC) students were offered a front-row seat to learn about opportunities to earn money while going to college. Nearly 30 students took advantage of the opportunity by participating in a lunch-and-learn session to hear all about MECOP, which is short for Multiple Engineering Cooperative Program.
MECOP is a cooperative work experience program for business, computer science, engineering, GIS, and surveying students. The program includes two, six-month internships for transfer students during their junior and senior years. Students will make enough with the internships to pay for most of their college expenses during their last two years while gaining valuable work experience. In most cases, the students are offered full-time jobs from the companies providing the internships.
In order to continue the program’s success, we need our best and brightest to participate, Ryan Garrison, a 13-year MECOP volunteer and presenter on this day, said. Some of the best engineers and business leaders I know come from rural Oregon, and that drives us to cast a big net over the state including rural communities like Roseburg. Personally, it’s rewarding to share this opportunity with my hometown, and then see some of the students become interns the following year.
MECOP is a non-profit organization that is largely run by volunteers. The program was established in the late 70s and has provided students with job opportunities, income, experience, and job fairs. Partnering schools are Oregon State University, Oregon Institute of Technology, Portland State University, and University of Portland.
There are roughly 675 internships being offered in 2018. While some internships are outside of Oregon, most are in state. There are no tuition fees during the internship, and students will be able to gain real-world experience in the field they are wishing to pursue.
UCC students can apply for the program the year prior to transferring. The application deadline is March 31. Approximately 50% of the program’s applicants are accepted into the internship program. For disciplines such as computer science and surveying, nearly 100% of applicants are successful.
Learn more about the program here. The eligible transfer programs are located here.
Story by Katelyn Barry, Student Writer
About Umpqua Community College
Nestled in the beautiful North Umpqua River Valley, Umpqua Community College is the regional center for higher education in Douglas County, Oregon. UCC provides high quality college degree programs, workforce development, and community learning opportunities.
Contact
Clay Baumgartner – Contact
Chair, Associate Professor, Engineering/Surveying & CIS
Phone: 541-440-4683