Students Present Learnings to a Gathering of UG2 Staff
In May, UG2 had the privilege of hosting our three co-op students from Franklin Cummings Tech for a special gathering at our Boston corporate headquarters. With more than two dozen UG2 employees and Franklin Cummings Tech staff in attendance, Eric Pimentel, Ethan Yu, and Katherine Gustafson presented key takeaways and reflections from their co-op placements with UG2.
Eric, an HVAC student, touched on topics from safety practices to the importance of the plant log to the essential function of communication to the role, whether he was requesting support through the chat function in an app or relying on radio for immediate backup. He also spoke about the impact of gaining real-world experience and practicing the knowledge he acquired in the classroom.
Ethan, who is also an HVAC student, expressed appreciation for the mentoringhe received from his supervisor. He talked about the importance of teamwork in the responsibilities of a building engineer and touched on his learnings around fire safety, such as fire sprinkler preventative maintenance, and the importance of vendor relationships.
Katherine, a student in the Practical Electricity Program, spoke about making huge strides as she built up her knowledge base and became more competent and comfortable in her chosen field, and remarked on the problem solving and communications skills she acquired along the way.
Questions from the attendees and remarks from Michael Goldstein, Chief Innovation Officer, and Byron Gonzalez, Career and Co-op Specialist from Franklin Cummings Tech captured the mutually beneficial nature of the relationship between the school and UG2 in our shared commitment to develop the next generation of talent in the skilled trades.
UG2 Founder and President Lou Lanzillo said that the three students excelled at delivering for our customers and became ambassadors for UG2. All three students earned kudos from their supervisors, who congratulated them on earning a place with UG2. Eric and Ethan have both been hired on full time by UG2, and Katherine’s co-op has been extended through mid-August.
This event marked a successful completion of our inaugural semester hosting Franklin Cummings Tech co-ops. We’re proud to say the partnership continues this summer with four Franklin Cummings Tech co-op students joining the UG2 team.