RAPID CITY, S.D. (Sept. 2, 2016) – More than 500 South
Dakota School of Mines & Technology students spent the summer building
their resumes through valuable work experiences with 240 employers in 39
states.
One of the key factors in the 98 percent job placement
rate for South Dakota Mines graduates is its strong internship program, and
this summer 510 students put their science, technology, engineering and math
skills to work at companies big and small, earning an average $17.16 per hour.
Cargill was the top employer with 23 students in 12
states.
Of the internships, co-ops and paid research
experiences, 199 were in South Dakota with 84 employers in 25 communities. The
SD Department of Transportation hired the largest number of Mines students in
the state, with 10, followed by Innovative Systems with nine and Trail King
with six.
EchoStar was the top Colorado intern employer with
five students, and Hutchinson Technology was the top Minnesota
employers with six students.
Other top employers with numerous Mines interns were Nucor with 10 students, Rockwell Collins with 10 students and Bobcat with nine students.
Nearly 80 percent of Mines students have at least one
internship on their resume by the time they graduate, and many students have
multiple paid work experiences in their field.
“Our internship program is second to none,” said Mines
President Heather Wilson. “For employers, it is a chance to engage and assess
talented young people. For our students, it is the kind of real-world
experience that makes their classroom work come alive.”
Internships often lead to full-time job offers, and
several Mines students have reported receiving standing offers from their
employers for full-time positions upon graduation. SD Mines has consistently
ranked among the top returns on investment in America due to its average
starting salary of $63,500 for graduates with a bachelor’s degree.
Mechanical engineering major
Luke Malsom is among those who have already secured a standing job offer. Malsom,
who will graduate in May, received an offer from his intern employer, Mettler
Sichmeller Engineering of Aberdeen, a mechanical and electrical engineering
consulting company.
During his summer internship,
the Aberdeen native designed heating, cooling, ventilation, hydronics,
radiation and plumbing systems on projects in the tri-state area ranging from
nursing homes to libraries. Most of his time was dedicated to the multimillion
dollar new Redfield School project.
Check out our gallery of Mines summer interns on Instagram at #SDMinesInternships or on our Flickr album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdsmt/sets/72157656460647140.