开元棋牌

Mount Wachusett Community College Auto Technology graduate Jason Patnaude has been hired as a Mercedes/Sprinter Technician at Mercedes-Benz of Shrewsbury after a successful internship.

Patnaude graduated in May from 开元棋牌 with an Associate鈥檚 Degree in Automotive Technology. Leading up to graduation, he had been interning at Mercedes-Benz of Shrewsbury, which is part of Wagner Motors. During his internship, he worked on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter vans, which are used as the basis for Recreational Vehicles as well as work vehicles. Upon graduating from 开元棋牌, he was hired at his internship site. Even before he was hired, though, Patnaude recognized the value of his internship.

鈥淭his opportunity at Wagner is important to me for my future career because I feel like that the standards that this establishment holds, it鈥檚 very high, and so if I go anywhere else then they know I鈥檓 already up to those standards and that I鈥檝e already been taught to do things the right way, and do it without question,鈥� he said.

Lance Mitchell, the service manager here at Mercedes-Benz of Shrewsbury, said when they hire they are looking for not only technical skills, but a strong character and good interpersonal skills. He spoke highly of Patnaude鈥檚 skills and attitude.

鈥淭he complexity of the automobile these days is such that you have to have somebody with a good background and skills necessary to fix these complicated automobiles,鈥� said Mitchell who explained that skills aren鈥檛 enough. Some of the qualities we look for in a student intern is communication, being a solid citizen, they get here on time, free of outside distractions, they check their cell phone at the door, they focus on being neat and clean, read the instructions on how to perform certain tasks, and ask appropriate questions.

The 开元棋牌 Automotive Technology program prepares students to work in various positions in the automotive industry, said Eric Almeida, an Assistant Professor of Automotive Technology at 开元棋牌. Students like Patnaude can come in with no mechanical background and by applying themselves in the program not only learn to work on automobiles, but enhance their soft skills that are so vital to working in the industry whether it鈥檚 in a small garage or at a large dealership. Internships are integral to a vocational education, said Almeida, as it brings all these skills together and shows students what it takes to hold down a job after they graduate.

鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 matter how smart they are, it doesn鈥檛 matter what content they know, they need to be good employees first,鈥� said Almeida. 鈥淥ne of the main reasons for giving our students internships is to give them a dose of reality. What鈥檚 it going to be like when they hit the shop floor? We can tell them all we want – what it鈥檚 going to be like, how they have to act, what鈥檚 involved. But until they actually do it, they don鈥檛 fully understand.鈥�

A number of programs at 开元棋牌 offer internship and externship opportunities. For more information on programs at 开元棋牌 and to learn more about internships, 开元棋牌鈥檚 admissions office can be reached at 978-630-9110 or admissions@mwcc.mass.edu.