Ben Heiser, Global Platform manager - round baler and small square baler with CNH Industrial, New Holland, knows the value of enhancing the skills of local youths. "We are one of the largest sites globally," he said of the area location. "Don't we want to make sure the company has exposure ... to develop the talent that grew up down the street?"

Working together with Jill Hackman, Career Pathways coordinator at Garden Spot High School (GSHS), Heiser has created a program to give GSHS students hands-on experience with agricultural engineering during their senior year. More than five students have participated in internships since the program began in the fall of 2018. Heiser first created the internship as a working job shadow experience of about six hours per week, but it soon grew into more. "We are evolving the experience based on intern feedback," said Heiser, who added that he is focused on giving the students the most positive experience possible.

In the spring of 2022, then-junior Sean Kelch, who is interested in engineering, had exhausted his options for related classes at GSHS. Kelch spoke to a student he knew had interned at CNH. "(The student) said he learned a lot he couldn't learn in school," reported Kelch, who contacted Hackman to complete the necessary application and interview process for the fall 2022 semester. Kelch spent the first eight weeks in training, learning about computer programs, solid parts, sheet metal, design, and more. His first project was to solve a problem with a tool designed to take tension off a chain on a corn header. "It wouldn't fit through the gap right, and it wasn't user friendly," recalled Kelch, who was able to work with a CNH employee to redesign the part and create prototypes to test.

In addition to the hands-on experience, Kelch has taken part in weekly virtual meetings with engineers from across the U.S., Europe, and Brazil. "He is getting to Zoom with some of the best engineers around the globe to see how engineers from different cultures communicate when they present ideas," said Hackman, who added that Kelch is also able to apply principles from the GSHS Advanced Placement calculus and physics classes in his internship. She noted that the variety of types of engineering that students take part in gives them more confidence entering college and helps them narrow down their interests.

"Mechanical engineering is what I love the most so far," said Kelch, who is considering a University of Pittsburgh engineering program at the Johnstown campus following graduation.

Hackman has been coordinating internships in a variety of fields for about seven years. Heiser sees the program as a win-win. "There is a lot of industry and opportunity for students within the county to stay local and have great careers," he said. "Without engineers, we don't exist as a company. We need to grow and develop local talent."