Applied Engineering Student

Meet Brandon Korgel — an applied engineering student at Bemidji State University.

After two years in the manufacturing industry, Brandon Korgel realized in order to move up in his career he was going to have to pursue an education. Korgel took a leave of absence from his job at Polaris to attend Northland Community and Technical College (NCTC) and received degrees in welding and automation.

While attending NCTC, Korgel attended a session on the 360° Manufacturing and Applied Engineering Center of Excellence. It was at that point that Korgel wanted to extend his education by attending Bemidji State University (BSU).

"My first reaction was I felt empowered," Korgel explained. "I didn't know that something like this was available and when I saw that it was offered, I was interested immediately and I’m glad I made the choice."

The seamless career pathway 360° offers allows students to see what levels of education are needed for different careers and career levels based on the programs offered through the 10 institutions partnering with 360°.

"We're showing students that these are careers, not just jobs," Karen White, director of 360°, explained. "They don't have to take on all their education at once."

Korgel didn't start on that path until he had industry experience working on welding robots and taking on small leadership roles.

"That's the beauty of 360°. It allows you to build upon your current skills and knowledge," Korgel said. After learning new technology and being open to new opportunities, Korgel said he's committed to continuing his education. He's already received credits from classes taken at NCTC and was able to transfer those credits to Bemidji State University for his bachelor's degree in applied engineering.

"I've followed the pathway this far so I'll probably go after the master’s degree," Korgel added. Earning his master's degree would further open the door into upper management and help him grow personally, not just professionally Korgel said.

"360° has opened up more doors than I ever could have imagined," Korgel said. “If there was one thing that I could tell anyone about 360° — that's what it does, it opens up doors to greater opportunities."

Continuing education is just one of the opportunities 360° offers students. The program allows students to work on up-to-date technology. "Bemidji State University's equipment is top notch," Korgel said. The university offers students the opportunity to use equipment that even a lot of industries don't have and gets students to work with classmates to create products.

"Being able to create something and see that and to connect with others in the creation of different things, that's the best part," Korgel said. "It sets you up for the proper knowledge base to excel in materials testing and processes, and I think that it prepares you well for a job in industry."

Source: "Transforming Lives" booklet from 360° Manufacturing and Applied Engineering Center of Excellence, reprinted with permission