March drawing closer means three things at UT each year: Winter is winding down, basketball is about to hit tournament season, and the spring Engineering Expo will soon draw hundreds of hopeful future co-op and intern students from the Tickle College of Engineering for two days of getting to know potential employers.

“The Engineering Expo is incredibly important to our office and, as importantly, to the students in our college,” said Tonya Shortt, interim director of the Office of Engineering Professional Practice which hosts the event each spring and fall. “Gaining that ‘in-the-field’ experience before graduation is something the college feels is important for our students, as it helps set them up for future success once they have graduated.”

Held at the Student Union on March 1st from 1-4:30, the first day of the event will feature up to 150 companies, with every major being represented by several potential employers.

Students will spend that day visiting booths from sponsors that draw their interest. Then, on March 2nd, students and sponsors that had mutual interest after the first day have a 30-minute interview to see if a connection can be made that leads to an offer. On average across all majors, students earn $3,200 per month while with their company or organization.

Those experiences can come when students alternate semesters between school and work, although some students opt to seek their opportunities during the summer break. More than 70 percent of eligible students take part annually.

Participating companies with ties to the area include American Accessories International, Denso, Volkswagen, KUB, Nucleon Power, Malibu Boats, Pilot Flying J., MAHLE, CGI, and Clayton Homes. National and international companies including Honda, BMW, Kia, Idaho National Laboratory, Prime Controls, Safire Technology Group, Smith + Nephew, and Texas Instruments are also taking part.

The Office of Engineering Professional Practice was founded in 1926 to help engineering students add experience to their education and prepare for the transition from student to employee. The office maintains relationships with more than 500 businesses and interacts with more than 1,500 undergraduate and graduate students each year, helping them achieve more than 700 annual placements with participating companies.