Bella Gutkin hadn't been in a classroom for about a decade when she decided to visit Onondaga Community College and explore her options. "I wanted to come back to school and I took a while to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I liked the idea of working with electricity. I came in interested with everything the field entails."

Gutkin is in her first semester at OCC in the new Electromechanical Technology Certificate program. It teaches students about electricity, mechanisms, and programming. The Electromechanical Technology certificate and degree programs are in their first academic year at the college, and a re Micron-related but not Micron-exclusive. Students who successfully complete the programs are likely to find employment quickly.

Appled Technology Professor Mike Grieb teaches "Introduction to Problem Solving." He says the Electromechanical Technology students become familiar with each other quickly and collaborate often. "This group takes a lot of classes together. They interact in team-like exercises. That's an aspect of working in manufacturing, the team aspect, and relying on each other and making sure processes are being followed." "It helps with learning a lot," added Gutkin. "It's nice to have people to reach out to. We all have the same questions and concerns for the most part."

All of the classes are held in the Whitney Applied Technology Center which is undergoing a transformation. The Micron Cleanroom Simulation Lab is being built there along with HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), Welding, and CNC (computer numerical control) Training Centers.

The new Electromechanical Technology program is the subject of this edition of our podcast, "Chatting About College."