College or Career? Many high school seniors will choose one of these paths in the coming months. But for two seniors at the Ashtabula County Technical & Career Campus (A-Tech), they’re getting the best of both through the prestigious Caterpillar ThinkBIG program.
Power Sports & Outdoor Equipment students Nate Jacobs and Rick Janson are two of only 15 students in the state of Ohio to be accepted into the program.
For two years, the students will alternate on eight week rotations taking classes at Owens Community College in Toledo and working in a shop for Caterpillar (CAT). Upon completion of the program, they will graduate with an Associate's degree in applied science and start working for CAT full-time as heavy equipment mechanics.
Getting into the ThinkBIG program is a rigorous process. Thousands of students attend the CAT open houses throughout the school year, hoping to get an opportunity to interview for the program. Students must have a 3.0 GPA to be considered. CAT also looks at student attendance and discipline records. Jacobs and Janson traveled to Youngstown for their interviews, and say they were well-prepared thanks to the guidance of instructor Jeff Stuyvesant.
“He’s a great instructor. He helped push us to do this,” said Jacobs. “When he found out we were both really interested in the program, he was doing all he could to help us.”
Janson says he got serious about the program when the representative from CAT called him. “(He) told me I was highly recommended (by Stuyvesant),” said Janson.
“It was a very competitive process for the candidates, but the A-Tech students stood out,” said Ohio CAT Employment Specialist Jason Berens. “Our program would have to start at a much more basic level and require more time to have interns ready for full-time work if it weren’t for A-Tech’s program. We have worked closely with Mr. Stuyvesant for many years now and know that he and A-Tech are producing high-caliber students.”
The students will pay for their classes up front, but have the opportunity to earn back as much as 95% of the tuition costs by maintaining a high GPA. Additionally, they’ll earn $14/hour while in school. That number jumps to $21-$24/hour upon completion of the program.
Since the year 2000, eight A-Tech students have earned their way into the CAT ThinkBIG program. This is the first time two students were selected in the same year. “It’s the most prestigious area that a student can go because only 10-12 in Ohio are chosen. To even get an interview is tough. I’m as elated and a proud as can be to have students selected out of my program to be a part of that program,” said Stuyvesant.
Jacobs and Janson, who are both from Jefferson, are already using the skills they’ve built at A-Tech through the school’s early placement program. Janson is employed at Cope Farm Equipment. Jacobs works at Roger Butler Excavating.
The CAT program will further expand their opportunities. “Not only do you get paid, but you get all the knowledge that comes from it,” said Jacobs. “If you play your cards right, you’ll never have to find another job.”
“CAT is worldwide so we know we’ll always have a job,” said Janson. “We have a great future ahead of us.”
To learn more about the programs available at A-Tech, call 440-576-6015 or visit atech.edu.