Search Languages Menu COMMUNITY TALENT Co-Op: Shaping a Workforce for the Future Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Every year, a fortunate few begin their careers at Timken as Engineering Co-Op students. The program offers college undergraduates the opportunity to work up to five semesters while completing a bachelor’s degree in engineering. “Co-op is one of our best training and development programs,” says Natasha Pollock, Timken’s vice president of human resources. “We have company leaders today who got their start as a co-op student.” Participants in the program work alongside experienced engineers solving real-world problems, so the pandemic work-from-home hiatus has been particularly hard on them — and their mentors. One of our company’s core values is Teamwork, so having the ability to connect, collaborate and learn by striking up casual conversations or look over a mentor’s shoulder is incredibly valuable. Co-op students make important, daily contributions toward solving customers’ most challenging applications and building a more efficient, secure, and reliable world. Whether they stay with Timken or not, their experiences form a solid foundation for the health of tomorrow’s industries. “When selecting co-op participants, managers are guided by Timken culture and values. We look for people who are industrious. They’re constructive problem solvers, self-starters — driven, systematic thinkers who can connect the dots.” Natasha Pollock, Vice President of Human Resources Cultivating local engineering talent In the U.S., students spend the first co-op semester at Timken world headquarters (WHQ), where they’re exposed to various bearing engineering groups. Then, they can apply to additional semesters as part of a defined career path in sales engineering, engineering, or manufacturing engineering. In addition to the bearing program, Timken offers a mechanical power transmission (MPT) co-op program where students rotate through three MPT facilities. “I liked the diversity of products that Timken engineers and manufactures. Being one of the first students through the MPT Co-op program, I got to learn three different product lines and manufacturing practices and now have a healthy knowledge of them all,” says Chase Grambsch, a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Platteville. International Timken facilities also offer programs in cooperation with local colleges and universities. “We like to develop talent locally,” says Pollock, “All of these programs are designed to work with the communities and the facilities they benefit.” Timken facilities in Romania, for example, have a decade-plus partnership with the Oil & Gas University of Ploiesti where students balance real-world experience with their studies throughout their curriculum. “It’s a win-win,” says Liviu Anton, general manager for product design and development in Ploiesti. “Students learn and develop their talents, and we select the best to be future Timken associates.” When selecting co-op participants, managers are guided by Timken culture and values. “We look for people who are industrious,” says Pollock. “They’re constructive problem solvers, self-starters — driven, systematic thinkers who can connect the dots.” Real contributions—and real choices Pollock and her team do their best to make sure co-ops feel supported and part of a strong team. “We provide our managers with the training and tools to become excellent mentors who can create lifetime impact for these undergraduates,” she says. The Timken program stands out for its clearly defined paths and students’ ability to explore different areas. “When you are 19, 20, 21 years old, you’re still determining your future direction and deciding what career fits you best,” says Pollock. “The rotations help our co-ops figure that out.” It’s not uncommon for co-ops to begin with one focus and then find themselves drawn to another. They sometimes start out with a bias against sales, for example. Then, when they learn about the in-depth, technical training our sales engineers receive and see the important work they do for customers, their perspective changes. Some, on the other hand, know exactly what they want to do, and the program allows them to dive right in. From the time she joined a robotics team as a kid, Danielle Yingst knew she wanted to pursue mechanical engineering, and her success in the MPT co-op program bears that out. Whatever tasks students are assigned during a rotation, they’re often impressed by the real-world responsibilities they come with. At the end of his first co-op rotation, Peter Macron, profiled here, is already deep into R&D, helping with a top-secret bearings project for the aerospace industry. Previous Elisabeth Kuebel First-Semester Co-Op Student Elena-Manuela Marinescu Senior Product Design Engineer Location: Ploiesti, Romania Alma mater: Oil and Gas University Ploiesti Graduation date: Summer 2014 Favorite social media platform: Instagram Favorite celebrity: Catherine Zeta Jones Favorite way to connect with friends: Dinner and movies at her place Person she looks up to most: Her father Engineering breakthrough he wants to see: Flying car “My father guided me to engineering and encouraged me to be the best in everything I do — personally and professionally.” Location: WHQ Alma mater: North Carolina State University Graduation date: Fall 2023 Favorite after-work hangout: Ninja Hub Favorite social media platform: Reddit Favorite celebrity: Chris Rock Person he looks up to most: Ms. Cooney, high school statistics teacher What he’s driving: Perrii the Prius Engineering breakthrough he wants to see: Hoverboards “Sales engineers like learning things, and they’re social as well. There’s a nice balance, where I feel part of a community.” Next Shaping a workforce for humanity’s future For her part, Pollock truly enjoys working with Gen Z students. “There’s a sense of wonder with them,” she says. “They always keep you current.” The Timken Young Professionals Network (YPN) helps support co-op students and carries influence when it comes to setting policies and advancing diversity, inclusion and belonging programs. “This generation is not shy about living life and connecting,” says Pollock. “Always look at their questions and their approach in a positive way, those diverse viewpoints enrich the organization and make you more successful.” On a macro level, the co-op program is about influencing the future workforce of the world, she says. “These are the people who are going to be running companies or building innovative solutions when I’m retired. I’m counting on them to make sure we continue to progress as a company and as human race.” “The more companies that build programs like this, the more everyone in the industry benefits from it,” says Pollock. “In this way, we raise the quality of the talent that comes out of our schools.” Need more proof that Timken is a great place for young professionals? Forbes named the company to its 2021 America’s Best Employers for New Grads list, based on interviews with associates new to Timken and the workforce. 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