business backgrounder | education & workforce
Through the cohort, employers can sponsor students as interns
or part-time workers: Students apply classroom learning on the
job, and companies get trained employees once the program is
completed.
A partnership between the college and Washington companies
made it possible.
“The strength of this program is that we work with each employer to
meet what that employer’s needs are,” said Duncan Burgess, who helped
create the program as South Seattle College’s
dean of Multi-Trades, Business & Information
Technology.
This spring, another cohort of students
will enroll, joined by an expanded group of
employer sponsors. The program has caught
the attention of another industry, as well — car
dealers, who say they could use more trained
mechanics for their shops. This fall, South
Seattle will launch a similar cohort program,
Trained Automotive Maintenance Technicians.
“Yes, there have to be workers to build things
and drive trucks, but there also have to be
people to maintain those things.”
— Duncan Burgess, co-creator of South Seattle College’s
Diesel Industrial Sector Cohort as the dean of Multi-Trades,
Business & Information Technology
high-demand, good paying jobs
Diesel technicians fix and maintain heavy
equipment engines, from semi-trucks and
buses to machinery used in construction, in
the forest, on the farm and on the sea. The
building boom in Seattle, freight movement at
the ports and transportation projects around
the state all involve diesel engines, and those
Samir Osman, center, and Omar Ciudad-Real, right, talk with instructor Jesse Ruiz during a
engines need mechanics to service them.
diesel tech class at South Seattle Community College. (Photos by Brian Mittge/AWB)
Statewide employment in the field is expected
to grow about 1.5 percent a year, according to
Washington Career Bridge, with an average
The program is flexible enough to allow employers to determine
annual salary of just above $53,000.
what, exactly, a sponsorship entails, Burgess says. In this cohort,
“The industry is exploding exponentially right now,” said Burgess. Papé sponsored three of its own employees who go to work in the
“Yes, there have to be workers to build things and drive trucks, but morning then attend class in the afternoon and evening.
there also have to be people to maintain those things. There’s a Papé has been involved in similar programs at community
huge amount of infrastructure in making projects happen.”
colleges in Oregon and Eastern Washington, Recruiting Manager
Almost two years ago, Cummins Northwest approached the Larry Phillips said. That experience has shown that for Papé, the
college, interested in bolstering training and identifying workers approach the company is taking at South Seattle — where Papé
who were job-ready right out of school, rather than having to take pays students for their work, but the students pay for their tuition
the time to train people on the job. Other companies, such as Papé — creates buy-in.
Machinery and Gary Merlino Construction, followed.
“We’re looking for people who have a passion for the business
So the college formed an organizing group of employers, and are willing to invest the time,” said Phillips. “If they go through
enhanced its curriculum and renewed its certification from the this whole process, they’ll be on the team. We don’t want them just
National Automotive Technology Education Foundation. The for a job; we want them for a career.”
result: a program that allows employers to interview and choose Cummins Northwest has sponsored two students, providing
students on a designated Selection Day and work closely with the tuition and tools assistance, mentors and potential apprenticeships
college throughout, potentially choosing additional students to this spring.
sponsor as time goes on.
The program was a natural next step for a longtime relationship
The seven-quarter program costs about $15,000, including books between the company and the college, said Cummins Northwest
and tools, but state and federal grants can help pay the bill, Burgess CEO Greg Ehlinger.
said, as do some employers.
38 association of washington business