Montana Education/Business Partnerships

Montana State University officials are asking for help from thousands of Montanans who will soon be receiving a survey in their mailboxes that ask their opinions about the university. March 01, 2004 — by MSU…

Since then, the students have competed each year with the help of parent and engineer volunteers and sponsorships from Montana State University, Farmers State Bank and several other local contributors. The program is an extracurricular activity which builds skills in science, engineering and technology.

"The university has been very good to us and our family, and without the outstanding education we have received at MSU, the opportunities that we have had would not have been possible,"

Passport is always looking to build bridges with individuals and businesses working in nontraditional fields. We look for individuals interested in serving as mentors to a student in their field and for businesses that would like to be job-shadow or internship sites.

"This contribution from the beet growers is a referendum in my mind on the accomplishments that we’ve been able to obtain at the research center in the last five years," said Ken Kephart, superintendent at Southern. "This is confirmation that we’re conducting research that helps the farmers of south-central Montana.

Officials predict students can qualify for jobs with starting salaries of $40,000 after completing their training. And several mines, including Stillwater and one near Wallace, Idaho, have contacted Cronoble about his students.

Conor Smith summed it up by saying “This project was fun and it’s nice to work with a group of people that are passionate about what they do. It’s a good feeling knowing that more people will learn about Summit and that in turn will help a lot of kids who are having a tough time.”

"This is just one more way the college is building partnerships with the private sector for economic expansion," Hoyle said. "We’re on the right track."

"It’s a great step," Hoffman added. "The college has been great for us."

CET is among the oldest accredited construction education programs in the country. The 250 MSU students in the four-year program explore earthwork, highway technology, project management and methods. They learn the technology, supervision and management of engineering, and industrial and building construction.

For several decades the international student-run organization has helped college students work abroad.