Co-op student working on a control panel
Guest Blogger Jacob Dupuis
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first walked in the doors of Revere. I was excited to finally get to put some of the knowledge I had gained in the classroom to good use, and get some hands on engineering experience. However, in the back of my mind I wondered if I was about to become an errand boy whose sole purpose was to make copies and go on coffee runs. Boy, was I wrong.
This is my second term as a co-op and my experience thus far has well exceeded my expectations. It all starts out with a well laid out schedule for the entire term. The real cool thing about how the co-op program is set up is it’s not just about engineering. Sure, that’s the end goal, but during your time as a co-op you will spend time in each department to gain an understanding as to how Revere operates. Whether it’s spending time building panels in the shop, testing a panel with 480 volts running through it, learning the ins and outs of sales and marketing, going out to a job site to troubleshoot a problem, hitting homeruns for the company softball team, or getting to do some engineering design work, as a co-op at Revere you’ll get a taste of it all. This is important because it gives you the “bigger picture” insight and a better understanding of how and why it all works. Revere cares about the future of the company so it makes sense to invest in their future by mentoring and developing young aspiring engineers.
While there are many opportunities to co-op elsewhere, I can say without a doubt the experience you’ll gain at Revere Control Systems is second to none. It’s been a great experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
Editor’s note: We believe strongly that the best way to assure a flow of skills and talent into our workplace of the future is to maintain a structured and intensely educational co-op program that treats student engineers as if we expect them to be our employees when they graduate.The program has proved very successful, as 5 out of our first 7 graduating co-op students are now employed full time as project engineers. For more about the program, see our co-op page.