Brett Hall (above right) describes how he was affected by the "Great Recession" this way: "At 57 years old, I was laid off from my job, and I felt that if I was going to have a chance to compete for employment during a recession, I would need to get more education." Hall began a new career by enrolling in the Electronics Engineering Technology AAS program at PCC. In June of 2011, he had completed all his courses except for a required co-op internship. Hall was referred by PCC's Student Employment Services to a Failure Analysis Technician job opening at INTEL, with a direct contact person in the department. He was hired for the position with the stipulation that he would complete his degree, using his new INTEL job to meet his internship requirement. Hall completed his internship under the supervision of INTEL manager, Tony Peterson (above left), earning his AAS degree. "My training has been very rewarding," Hall reports, "And I enjoy my new career very much. I am so happy with my decision to continue my education."
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As a Renewable Energy Systems student at PCC, Jose Gastelum opted to do a Cooperative Education internship for his technical capstone option. He researched "small wind" energy companies in the Portland Metro area and found XZERES WIND in Wilsonville. During his internship at XZERES, Gastelum was responsible for testing alternators, yawheads, and control boxes, and providing technical documentation. He expanded his knowledge of how small wind turbines work and how they are manufactured. Also, he learned the technical jargon and industry standards specific to the industry. Gastelum earned Cooperative Education credit for his experience and a good job reference as well. He graduates with his AAS in June 2012.
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