Laitram and The University of New Orleans Announce Partnership
May, 2014 — Laitram, L.L.C announced today it has entered a partnership with the University of New Orleans that will offer a year-round internship program for students in UNO’s College of Engineering. Eligible UNO students will fill internships at one of Laitram’s four operating divisions: Intralox, L.L.C.; Laitram Machinery, Inc.; Lapeyre Stair, Inc.; and Laitram Machine Shop, L.L.C.
Under the partnership, UNO students will intern 10-20 hours per week and receive $500 of tuition reimbursement per semester, giving students an opportunity to work in their field of study and apply what they have learned in school in a professional environment. Students who meet eligibility requirements will be selected by instructors at UNO to be considered for the internship program.
“The partnership will provide an outstanding opportunity for UNO engineering students to gain valuable practical experience, enhancing their technical and professional development,” said Paul Schilling, professor and chair of mechanical engineering. “This program further strengthens the relationship fostered by the numerous UNO engineering graduates employed at Laitram.”
“GNO, Inc. applauds the Laitram-UNO partnership,” said Michael Hecht, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans, Inc. (GNO, Inc.). “The expansion of Laitram’s year-round intern program to UNO Engineering is an exciting development that is a triple-win for industry, education, and our region’s students. This public-private partnership is the kind of common sense education-workforce collaboration that ensures alignment between our Advanced Manufacturing sector and key education institutions and programs.”
The partnership with UNO marks the third year-round internship program Laitram has established with area colleges, including Southeastern Louisiana University and Delgado Community College. The partnership with Southeastern, started in 2013, has placed 11 students in internship positions with three graduates receiving full-time positions within one of Laitram’s operating divisions.
“We have been very pleased with our engineering interns from UNO in the past, and we look forward to beginning this formal partnership with the university,” said Chuck Ledet, engineering manager at Laitram Machinery. “We consistently receive high-caliber engineering students who are able to make positive contributions to our engineering projects while gaining practical experience in a real engineering environment.”
