Internships are among the most valuable and sought-after experiences a college student can have outside the classroom. According to Machine Design magazine, almost 80 percent of employers view internships as a way to “audition” new full-time hires. The magazine also reports more than half of interns go on to work full-time for the company where they interned.
An internship gives you the chance to put what you’ve learned in the classroom into practice – and find out if this is really the field for you. You’ll meet professionals who can guide and mentor you, and you’ll learn things you can only discover on the job. Bradley Robison, part of the NIU Engineering @ RVC Class of 2018, said he learned skills in his internship with Woodward that go beyond engineering knowledge.
“I used to be shy and would get nervous asking a question,” he said. “My internship made me a much better communicator.”
NIU Engineering @ RVC is an industry-integrated program, meaning it has the backing of local Rockford-area companies like Woodward and UTC Aerospace Systems. These companies are eager to welcome our students as interns.
By taking all four years of your college classes on the campus of Rock Valley College and interning at one or more Rockford-area companies, you will be well poised to land a job with one of the many engineering and technology firms along the state line.
As an NIU Engineering @ RVC student you will complete your freshman and sophomore classes at Rock Valley College. During your junior and senior years, you will take NIU classes taught by NIU faculty on the Rock Valley campus. You complete your Northern Illinois University bachelor’s degree in Rockford.
