Vexos’ partnership with LCCC prepares students to succeed

Since 2016, LaGrange-based Vexos has partnered with Lorain County Community College to shape the college’s MEMS curriculum, preparing graduates to hit the job market running.

“Rarely have I found a curriculum that so directly correlates to future employment,” says Vexos General Manager Brad Koury about the college’s Mechatronics Technology – Micro Electromechanical Systems degree. “As a result, MEMS students, compared to other job candidates, are vastly more prepared to succeed.”

The company, a full-service electronic manufacturer specializing in custom materials solutions and electronics manufacturing services, initially engaged with LCCC to discuss Vexos’ processes and learn how the college’s MEMS program correlated with its needs.

“We then worked with them to mold the curriculum to better fit our needs, incorporating aspects such as industry-recognized solder training,” Koury says. “The majority of processes at our company are now being taught within the MEMS program.”

Koury says the partnership has been a successful one, with Vexos so far hiring six graduates of the program.  

“MEMS students enter Vexos with an invaluable base of skills and understanding of our electronics assembly processes, which decreases training time from several months to weeks and increases their input and position flexibility,” he says. “We’ve used MEMS graduates to fill the majority of positions, and it’s been a great success.”  

Koury says LCCC’s degree programs in MEMS and electronic engineering technology are helping Vexos acquire the employees it needs to thrive in competitive markets and build a more valuable workforce, while minimizing costs. One of those employees is Trevor Zitek, who graduated with an associate degree in Mechatronics Technology – Micro Electromechanical Systems. With several job offers, he chose Vexos. 

“LCCC gave me the knowledge to jump into a new business and be a contributing member of the Vexos team,” says Zitek, who works as a production associate. 

As Vexos continues working with LCCC to tweak the curriculum to meet evolving needs, it also turns to it for employee training on leadership and communication skills.

“Seminar training classes allow us to further invest in our workforce as we strive to cultivate an organization of leaders, continually improving processes to bring more value to our customers,” says Koury.

The company also offers a tuition reimbursement plan. Zitek is taking advantage of that opportunity as he pursues his applied bachelor’s degree in MEMS at LCCC, and says he cannot wait to see what the future holds.

Koury is also looking to the future and says that, as Vexos grows, LCCC will continue to be a critical source of qualified applicants.

“The collaboration between Vexos and LCCC has been fantastic, and I’m excited to see the relationship continue to grow,” he says. “New programs at our company may require 10 to 20 additional jobs, the majority of which would be great fits for MEMS students.”