Classroom lessons will be put to the test through real world application when students from the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton make their way west to West Plains Inc. in Dickinson this fall to learn the ins and outs of Case IH agricultural equipment and technology.

Classroom lessons will be put to the test through real world application when students from the North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton make their way west to West Plains Inc. in Dickinson this fall to learn the ins and outs of Case IH agricultural equipment and technology.

DeeAnn Grundstad with Frontier Equipment, West Plains Inc. and Glasgow Implement in Williston said the internship is a way for students to be able to "work at their sponsoring dealership" and "to use and improve on the skills they are being taught," while they also open themselves up to possible future employment opportunities.

"We would like to sponsor several students a session," Grundstad said. "The ultimate goal is to sponsor students in the program, then employ them during the summer and holiday breaks, and eventually hire them on as a full-time diesel technician once they have completed the program."

West Plains Inc. serves on the advisory committee for the program and will advise NDSCS on the curriculum and structure of the program, said Barbara Bang, dean of NDSCS Technologies & Services Division.

"Because students will be sponsored by dealers throughout the state, the internships were designed so that students do not have to drive daily," she said. "As an example, students will begin their studies at the NDSCS-Wahpeton campus. After approximately 24 weeks, they will begin their first internship at the dealer site."

The internships, which are part of the curriculum and can be completed within five semesters, will be limited to 24 students.

It is expected that 22 freshmen will be accepted into the program this fall semester, Bang said. Partnering dealerships will determine how many of the seats can be filled, she said.

Students remain with the dealer for eight weeks before returning to the school for theory and lab classes. The cycle continues, as students complete a second eight-week internship in their sophomore year.

Bang said NDSCS Diesel Technology Department has had two other partnerships for more than 10 years, including a John Deere Tech program and the Caterpillar Dealer Service Technician program.

"This new program, diesel technology-Case IH, enrolls students who are sponsored by participating dealers in North Dakota," she said. "Additionally, NDSCS enrolls students in their large diesel technology program which does not require students to be sponsored and is not product specific."

Bang said Case IH dealers worked with NDSCS faculty and staff over a two-year period to develop the program.

"Case IH dealers throughout North Dakota asked NDSCS to develop a customized curriculum that would focus on Case IH equipment and technology," she said. "West Plains Inc. is one of those dealers. They explained that the need for skilled diesel technicians is at a critical point for their companies. This is a collaborative effort where the dealers provide resources including equipment and technology to be used in the classroom; NDSCS provides instruction, facilities and equipment. The students are recruited by the dealers."

Located on Interstate 94 Business Loop East in Dickinson, West Plains Inc. is one of several Case IH dealerships across the state that will provide students from the associate degree diesel technology program at NDSCS with technical training that will involve Case IH equipment to help them build on their classroom instruction through hands-on experiences.

The training students receive on-campus in the areas of powertrains, hydraulics, advanced farming systems and electronics.

Students also receive technical training on Case IH equipment and other related products through a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on laboratory experiences.

To help enhance the skills they develop during in-class coursework and better prepare students for careers in areas like the mining industries, construction equipment companies and the agricultural industry, the internship will focus on Case IH agricultural equipment and technology.

The internships will also involve lessons on green technology and the changes that are occurring in the industry.

Internships, as well as scholarship information for the program, can be arranged through the local Case IH dealer.

More information on the program is available at http://www.ndscs.edu.

Story Link: http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/event/article/id/68104/