Aggreko was recently recognized as OSU Institute of Technology’s business partner of the year at the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education Business Partnership Excellence Award ceremony. The company’s highly successful SelecTech program at OSUIT trains technicians in portable diesel powered electricity generation and temperature control systems.
After decades of success and expansion, Aggreko recognized an increasing need for skilled, entry-level service technicians. A persistent skills gap in the U.S. labor market and excellent growth opportunities for their services increased their urgency to establish systems to develop qualified workers.
In 2008, the company began partnering with OSUIT to train technicians capable of providing outstanding customer service while possessing the skills to repair and maintain increasingly advanced equipment. The first SelecTech class consisted of 18 students. Through the years, the program has continued to grow and expects to accommodate 50 students per year beginning in 2017.
“Our relationship with OSUIT for the past 5 years has been fantastic,” said Devin Murphy, Aggreko Technical training manager. “The OSUIT staff is superior in their training and molding of our SelecTech students to not only become high quality technicians, but future leaders of our business.”
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with OSUIT over the years to further
cement the SelecTech Program and the HEVI department as our industry’s premier training
platform,” Murphy added.
Aggreko provides SelecTech students paid internships, scholarships, required tools, a company cell phone and cash advances for business-related travel. Upon graduation, many are also given the opportunity to accept full-time employment with the company.
“Effective partnering with industry leaders is an essential part of our success at OSUIT,” said Anita Gordy-Watkins, vice president of Institutional Advancement. “They not only provide financial support to our students through scholarships and internships but also resources to the institution and crucial insight to develop our curriculum.”
Aggreko is a global leader in generator rental, providing efficient and cost effective industrial generators and power distribution, including a wide range of specialized generators, transformers and load banks. The company has provided power and temperature control for numerous major events over the past 20 years, including summer and winter Olympic games, the PGA U.S. Open and Ryder cup, movie sets including Titanic and Harry Potter, and many other major concerts and road tours. Aggreko currently operates at over 148 locations in more than 100 countries.