Three Mesalands Wind Students selected to participate in prestigious Granite Internship Program

Granite Services International, Inc. is an affiliate of General Electric (GE) and recently held their training for their interns at the North American Wind Research and Training Center (NAWRTC) located at Mesalands Community College.

The three Wind Energy Technology students selected from Mesalands Community College, included: Brendon Benton from Benson, AZ; Shane Ferreira from Estancia, NM; and Jason Goetter from Inverness, IL.

“I’ve learned a lot about Granite’s systems, safety procedures, and culture. I really expect an amazing future with them,” said Goetter, Wind Energy Technology student at Mesalands.

Participants in this paid summer Wind Technician Internship Program with Granite International, must be pursuing a two-year wind/renewable technology degree from one of their partnered colleges. Participants must also submit a cover letter, a resume, a letter describing why they are applying for the internship, a letter of recommendation, and college transcripts demonstrating a minimum 2.8 GPA. After successfully completing the internship program, the participants must maintain their GPA, obtain their degree, and then will be guaranteed full-time employment with Granite International.

“We are very proud to once again host Granite and GE indoctrination training for their internship programs at the North American Wind Research and Training Center. This partnership is a win-win for all parties involved,” said Jim Morgan, Director of the North American Wind Research and Training Center at Mesalands. “This internship program also gives our students invaluable work experience with the likelihood of employment after to graduation.”

Since 2008, Wind Energy Technology students from Mesalands have been selected for this internship program. Jerry Myers, Service Manager for Granite Services International Inc., says that the company has been very pleased with the caliber of interns that they have recruited from Mesalands. Myers said one of the interns hired on for full-time employment with Granite, received a silver award and two others participated in a project, which ultimately saved GE $2 million dollars.

“Granite has had great success with the wind graduates we’ve hired from Mesalands over the years,” Myers said. “That is why we keep trying to get out here every year.”