Mason Hosts OCEA Conference at Great Wolf Lodge
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Exploring the voice of employers and educators to highlight the benefits of the co-op program
diverse group of students, academics, and employers from across the State of Ohio gathered here in May for the 3-day 2014 Ohio Cooperative Education Association Annual Conference. It was hosted in partnership with the City of Mason and the University of Cincinnati. The Ohio Cooperative Education Association (OCEA) is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1971. OCEA members are employers, educators, and those interested in cooperative education in Ohio. Traditionally, the organization president for the year is charged with hosting the statewide group in his or her home region. In 2014, the University of Cincinnati’s OCEA representative is serving as president and looked to their relationship with the City of Mason Economic Development Office as an opportunity to showcase experiential learning case studies in the Mason industrial and corporate community. Making the conference story even stronger is the historical connection of the co-op program at the University of Cincinnati. Cooperative education is a structured method of combining academic education with practical work experience. Research indicates that one of the attributes employers value most in newly hired employees is work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a “co-op,” provides academic credit for career work. Cooperative education is taking on new importance in school-to-work transition, service learning, and experiential learning
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initiatives. Here are some fast facts: • The co-op program was founded at the University of Cincinnati by Dean Herman Schneider in 1906 • The first co-op class had 27 students in 13 companies • In the second year, there were over 400 inquiries from prospective students • The first co-op program in business began in 1919 • The first mandatory co-op program in the USA was in 1920 in the College of Engineering • The first women were admitted to the co-op program in 1920 • The UC co-op program split into three colleges in 1946 • Currently, UC has approximately 3,500 students in the co-op program each year • Nationwide, there are approximately 600 co-op programs with 241,000 students participating This year’s conference agenda was developed through an effort between the colleges, Mason’s industry, and city leaders, and resulted in exceptional feedback and energy from the group. An estimated 150 or more people attended the conference. Two such global companies headquartered in Mason, Intelligrated and Assurex Health, offered to students and college administrators their version of why this method of learning toward future employment is so important to them. Intelligrated offered tours of their intelligent material handling systems
and Assurex took attendees through their genomics lab. Statistics show that as many as 90% of former co-ops may become future employees in these highly successful companies. Mason employers have a strong hold on students in the several disciplines, including engineering, software development, and biohealth. TedX Cincinnati, through a partnership with the City of Mason, also participated in the event. Streaming “TedX” talks provoked thoughtful discussion that was appreciated by the young workforce and student population that attended the conference. Talent development continues to be a significant topic of conversation among companies in Mason and across the country. As the strategy to grow Mason’s innovation sector evolves, a focus on talent is critical to success. The Economic Development Office believes this was a unique opportunity to leverage key growth strategies while also supporting Mason’s corporate portfolio. The City of Mason was proud to work with the OCEA and provide visibility to a significant resource: co-op students. We thank our corporate partners for all the support! For more information on the history of the first United States co-op program at UC, visit magazine.uc.edu/issues/1205/success1.html. For more information on the co-op program as a benefit to your company, visit www.ohioco-op.com.
Bio Science Ohio Career Fair On Mason Campus consecutive year as the preferred location to represent all of Southwest Ohio. This selection is due to the growing cluster of bio health portfolio companies and the strength of the unique partnership between Assurex Health and the City of Mason. Both the city and Assurex were able to showcase the campus environment, Assurex headquarters and state-of-the-art bio technology facilities, quality of life amenities at Mason Community Center, and progressive public sector partnering in the City of Mason. This made for an impressive combination for visiting companies and job seekers. Founded in 1987, BioOhio is a key strategic partner for the City of Mason and many private sector companies as a trade association with 420 members. BioOhio is the lead organization for the bioscience community and is the Ohio affiliate for global bioscience associations AdvaMed, BIO, MDMA and PhRMA.
BioOhio Career Fair Attendees 2014
For more information, visit www.bioohio.com, www.assurexhealth.com, and www.imaginemason.org/business. www.imaginemason.org
Mason Matters
etting the right talent is a key ingredient to economic growth. Because both the City of Mason and Assurex Health understand how critical this objective is for company and city success, the city has partnered with Assurex for the second year to host the annual BioOhio Regional Career Fair. Held at the Mason Community Campus, the 2014 event matched industry professionals with Ohio bioscience companies. It was coordinated by BioOhio, the state’s association for accelerating bioscience industry growth, research, and education. Aerotek Scientific, Alkermes, AtriCure, Medpace, Mound Laser & Photonics Center, and Nitto Avecia joined Assurex Health at the fair to seek qualified bioscience talent. Now in its eighth year, the BioOhio Career Fair continues to raise awareness of the growing biohealth sector and the strength of the talent pool locally. Its organizers chose the Mason Campus for the second
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