Z-AXIS hires co-ops for both our design engineering and mechanical engineering departments. Mentorship is an important part of the experience.
What are Co-Ops?
Co-ops give undergraduate students a chance to work in their field of study. For over 20 years, Z-AXIS has continuously provided co-ops to engineering students from local colleges.
Most, but not all, of our co-ops come from the Rochester Institute of Technology, or RIT. Originally, all our co-ops were in design engineering. Today, they’re in both design and manufacturing engineering.
Interview and Facility Tour
The process begins with an on-campus interview. We ask students what they’ve done with electronics that’s not part of their school curriculum. We also administer a quiz that most applicants fail.
The successful applicants are invited to join us at our manufacturing facility. We hire 1 to 3 co-ops at a time, typically for a semester. Some stay for two consecutive semesters in what’s known as a double block.
Meaningful Tasks and Mentorship
Some companies assign their co-ops menial tasks, but Z-AXIS takes a different approach. We mentor our co-ops, give them meaningful work, and ask them to work hard in exchange for all that they’ll learn.
Typically, our co-ops spend more time testing than anything else. They learn to use an oscilloscope, perform temperature testing, and test prototypes and products. They also build and solder test fixtures.
In addition, co-ops learn how to design circuits by working with our engineers. They also learn to program firmware – a type of software that’s permanently programmed into hardware device’s memory.
Co-ops in mechanical engineering learn to perform CAD work and run our CNC mill, which Z-AXIS uses to machine metal and plastic parts for prototypes and fixtures.
Michael Allen, Z-AXIS’ president and co-owner, mentors co-ops and provides bench top training, including a three-part series about capacitors. He even cuts several capacitors apart to reveal their structure.
Becoming Better Engineers
At the end of a co-op, Z-AXIS gives each student a grade. The students also grade us – information that supports our continuous improvement efforts.
Most Z-AXIS co-ops don’t become full-time hires, but they’re still a good source of talent. The co-op program also helps to build awareness about Z-AXIS among the RIT community.
Z-AXIS believes strongly that students who co-op with us become better engineers. Some go on to work for smaller companies, and others join large companies with names you’d recognize.
Contact us for more information.