Co-Op: Shaping a Workforce for the Future

Every year, a fortunate few begin their careers at Timken as Engineering Co-Op students.
The program offers college undergraduates the opportunity to work up to five semesters while completing a bachelor’s degree in engineering.

“Co-op is one of our best training and development programs,” says Natasha Pollock, Timken’s vice president of human resources. “We have company leaders today who got their start as a co-op student.”

Participants in the program work alongside experienced engineers solving real-world problems, so the pandemic work-from-home hiatus has been particularly hard on them — and their mentors. One of our company’s core values is Teamwork, so having the ability to connect, collaborate and learn by striking up casual conversations or look over a mentor’s shoulder is incredibly valuable.

Co-op students make important, daily contributions toward solving customers’ most challenging applications and building a more efficient, secure, and reliable world. Whether they stay with Timken or not, their experiences form a solid foundation for the health of tomorrow’s industries.

“When selecting co-op participants, managers are guided by Timken culture and values. We look for people who are industrious. They’re constructive problem solvers, self-starters — driven, systematic thinkers who can connect the dots.”

Natasha Pollock, Vice President of Human Resources

Cultivating local engineering talent

In the U.S., students spend the first co-op semester at Timken world headquarters (WHQ), where they’re exposed to various bearing engineering groups. Then, they can apply to additional semesters as part of a defined career path in sales engineering, engineering, or manufacturing engineering.

In addition to the bearing program, Timken offers a mechanical power transmission (MPT) co-op program where students rotate through three MPT facilities.

“I liked the diversity of products that Timken engineers and manufactures. Being one of the first students through the MPT Co-op program, I got to learn three different product lines and manufacturing practices and now have a healthy knowledge of them all,” says Chase Grambsch, a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Platteville.

International Timken facilities also offer programs in cooperation with local colleges and universities. “We like to develop talent locally,” says Pollock, “All of these programs are designed to work with the communities and the facilities they benefit.”

Timken facilities in Romania, for example, have a decade-plus partnership with the Oil & Gas University of Ploiesti where students balance real-world experience with their studies throughout their curriculum. “It’s a win-win,” says Liviu Anton, general manager for product design and development in Ploiesti. “Students learn and develop their talents, and we select the best to be future Timken associates.”

When selecting co-op participants, managers are guided by Timken culture and values. “We look for people who are industrious,” says Pollock. “They’re constructive problem solvers, self-starters — driven, systematic thinkers who can connect the dots.”

Real contributions—and real choices

Pollock and her team do their best to make sure co-ops feel supported and part of a strong team. “We provide our managers with the training and tools to become excellent mentors who can create lifetime impact for these undergraduates,” she says.

The Timken program stands out for its clearly defined paths and students’ ability to explore different areas. “When you are 19, 20, 21 years old, you’re still determining your future direction and deciding what career fits you best,” says Pollock. “The rotations help our co-ops figure that out.”

It’s not uncommon for co-ops to begin with one focus and then find themselves drawn to another. They sometimes start out with a bias against sales, for example. Then, when they learn about the in-depth, technical training our sales engineers receive and see the important work they do for customers, their perspective changes.

Some, on the other hand, know exactly what they want to do, and the program allows them to dive right in. From the time she joined a robotics team as a kid, Danielle Yingst knew she wanted to pursue mechanical engineering, and her success in the MPT co-op program bears that out.

Whatever tasks students are assigned during a rotation, they’re often impressed by the real-world responsibilities they come with. At the end of his first co-op rotation, Peter Macron, profiled here, is already deep into R&D, helping with a top-secret bearings project for the aerospace industry.

Robin Batsuli First-Semester Co-Op Student

Location: WHQ

Alma mater: North Carolina State University

Graduation date: Fall 2023

Favorite after-work hangout: Ninja Hub

Favorite social media platform: Reddit

Favorite celebrity: Chris Rock

Person he looks up to most: Ms. Cooney, high school statistics teacher

What he’s driving: Perrii the Prius

Engineering breakthrough he wants to see: Hoverboards

“Sales engineers like learning things, and they’re social as well. There’s a nice balance, where I feel part of a community.”

Josh Beck Sales Engineer

Location: Charlotte, NC

Alma mater: University of Akron

Graduation date: Summer 2020

Chosen co-op path: Sales engineering

Favorite way to connect with friends: Sports & hiking

Person he looks up to most: His parents

What he’s driving: 2021 Dodge Charger (Company car)

Nickname: Captain Co-Op

Engineering breakthrough he wants to see: Self-driving cars

“My favorite part of Co-Op was not just learning how to apply engineering concepts, but learning how much I love networking, and finding a passion for business and supply chain that I didn’t realize I had.”

Isaac Edmondson Third-Semester Co-Op Student

Location: Charlotte, NC

Alma mater: University of Akron

Graduation date: May 2023

Chosen co-op path: Sales engineering

Favorite after-work hobby: Playing Spikeball

Preferred social media platform: Snapchat

Person he looks up to most: His dad

What he’s driving: 2007 Toyota Corolla

Engineering breakthrough he wants to see: Space station on Mars

“I remember thinking I was unqualified for my term in application engineering. I learned the best way to get over those feelings was to work hard and continue learning each day.”

Chase Grambsch Manufacturing Engineer, Drives By Timken

Location: Fulton, IL

Alma mater: University of Wisconsin Platteville

Graduation date: May 2021

Chosen co-op path: Mechanical power transmission engineering

Favorite way to connect with friends: Face-to-face

Person he looks up to most: His dad

What he’s driving: 1966 Mercury Comet

“Being one of the first students through the MPT Co-Op program was a dream come true because I got to go to three totally different plants making three different products.”

Trayce Harris Sales Engineer

Location: Raleigh, NC

Alma mater: University of Akron

Graduation date: May 2020

Chosen co-op path: Sales engineering

Favorite way to connect with friends: Movie or game nights

Preferred social media platform: Tik Tok

Person she looks up to most: Michelle Obama

What she’s driving: 2021 Dodge Charger (Company car)

Nickname: Mom

Engineering breakthrough he wants to see: Teleportation

“Delegating is important and so is asking for help. Everyone is strong in different areas, so coming together to use each person’s skills always makes the best outcome.”

Valentin Ion New Product Request Engineer

Location: Ploiesti, Romania

Alma mater: Petroleum & Gas University of Ploiesti

Graduation date: Summer 2016

Favorite after-work activity: Soccer

Favorite social media platform: Instagram

Favorite celebrity: Zinedine Zidane

Favorite way to connect with friends: Hosting board game night

Person he looks up to most: Grandmother — who he refers to as “a veritable force of nature”

Nickname: Vali

Engineering breakthrough he wants to see: Driverless cars

“Work hard, be humble, and you’ll eventually succeed.”

Elisabeth Kuebel First-Semester Co-Op Student

Location: WHQ

Alma mater: Ohio State University

Graduation date: Fall 2024

Preferred social media platform: Instagram or Twitter

Favorite celebrity: Beyoncé

Person she looks up to most: Her older brother

What she’s driving: Subaru Legacy

Engineering breakthrough he wants to see: More sustainable buildings

“There are so many things we can do to help the environment. It’s just going to take time and engineering.”

Cory Langhoff Application Engineer

Location: WHQ

Alma mater: University of Akron

Graduation date: May 2020

Chosen co-op path: Engineering

Second job: U.S. Army Reserves

Favorite way to connect with friends: Face-to-face

Favorite celebrity: Keanu Reeves

Engineering breakthrough he wants to see: Solving the energy crisis

“Timken goes the extra mile to make you feel like part of the team. They give you work that means something—not just busy work to get you through the term.”

Peter Macron First-Semester Co-Op Student

Location: WHQ

Alma mater: Georgia Tech

Graduation date: May 2023

Chosen co-op path: Engineering

Favorite way to connect with friends: Hiking

What he’s driving: Subaru Crosstrek

Engineering breakthrough he wants to see: Alternative energy

“I want to be a subject matter expert—to get really deep into the field.”

Elena-Manuela Marinescu Senior Product Design Engineer

Location: Ploiesti, Romania

Alma mater: Oil and Gas University Ploiesti

Graduation date: Summer 2014

Favorite social media platform: Instagram

Favorite celebrity: Catherine Zeta Jones

Favorite way to connect with friends: Dinner and movies at her place

Person she looks up to most: Her father

Engineering breakthrough he wants to see: Flying car

“My father guided me to engineering and encouraged me to be the best in everything I do — personally and professionally.”

Danielle Yingst Fourth-Semester Co-Op Student

Location: Timken Belts, Springfield, MO

Alma mater: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Graduation date: December 2022

Engineering breakthrough he wants to see: 3D-printed human organ replacements

“This program proved to be a great way to work on a variety of projects while getting a better idea of what my future could look like.”

Shaping a workforce for humanity’s future

For her part, Pollock truly enjoys working with Gen Z students. “There’s a sense of wonder with them,” she says. “They always keep you current.”

The Timken Young Professionals Network (YPN) helps support co-op students and carries influence when it comes to setting policies and advancing diversity, inclusion and belonging programs.

“This generation is not shy about living life and connecting,” says Pollock. “Always look at their questions and their approach in a positive way, those diverse viewpoints enrich the organization and make you more successful.”

On a macro level, the co-op program is about influencing the future workforce of the world, she says. “These are the people who are going to be running companies or building innovative solutions when I’m retired. I’m counting on them to make sure we continue to progress as a company and as human race.”

“The more companies that build programs like this, the more everyone in the industry benefits from it,” says Pollock. “In this way, we raise the quality of the talent that comes out of our schools.”

Published: 2021/07/20