Battlecreek, Michigan
DENSO Manufacturing Michigan Inc. (DMMI)

As soon as they fi nished pulling As soon as they fi nished pulling all-nighters studying for exams, co-ops and interns at DENSO Manufacturing Michigan Inc., began trading those late night study groups for early morning staff meetings. DMMiemploys about 50 interns and co-op students in its cooperative education program.

For both the students and their coworkers at DMMI, the benefi ts are numerous.

Kolene Miller, recruiting section leader in DMMI Human Resources, says co-ops can discover the connection between their education and the workplace. At the same time, they are helping DMMI.

“ An internship can assist students in deciding whether the career they have selected is a good fi t,” she says. “It also provides them with valuable experience so they are marketable to future employers, such as DENSO.

“ They help to keep us in touch with the newest technology being taught at the university level. And, DMMI’s recruiting program benefi ts because the applicant pool is increased,” Miller says.

Emily Jakubiak, a sophomore at Bellevue Community College in Bellevue, Wash., and a summer co-op, says that being employed at DMMI allows her to practice skills she has learned in the classroom. “Because I am dealing with people’s needs on a daily basis, I have become an efficient problem solver. It has taught me a lot about co-worker relations,” she says.

Summer co-ops, like Emily, work at DMMI during the summer months to gain valuable work experience, while earning money for school expenses. DMMI also has co-ops who work year-round while attending college, rotational co-ops, a new program in which students alternate between working and going to school, and interns, who are pursuing a graduate-level degree.

For most co-ops, the idea of “getting their feet wet” in the corporate world is a major draw, as well as the opportunity to learn about fi nances. “This experience is teaching me to look into the future and think about the money I am earning,” Jakubiak says. “I have a goal, so I have learned to budget in my head before ieven receive a paycheck.”

Co-op or internship opportunities at DMMI are listed on www.densocorp-na.com, which is updated regularly.

— Andrea Bifulco