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Students Visit Detroit Companies with ECE Expeditions

Students visited DTE Energy and Ford in Detroit to learn about the life of electrical and computer engineers in industry.

DTE headquarters Enlarge
Students enter DTE Energy headquarters in Detroit, MI.
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Students visited active DTE work sites around the city.

Over 20 students trekked to Detroit over two days in October to learn from company visits to DTE Energy and Ford. The trip was offered by ECE Expeditions, which conducts different trips around the country to meet with companies and alumni to learn about potential careers in their field. ECE Expeditions previously took students on trips to San Francisco and around Ann Arbor.

At DTE Energy, students donned hard hats and reflective gear to tour under-construction facilities like the Shinola Hotel and the Fillmore theatre. Students then and lunch and learned about the history of DTE, as well as the available career opportunities.

At Ford, students learned about research and new technology being implemented in the automotive industry. This included a simulation used to test autonomous cars.

Students enjoyed the first-hand look at the jobs available to them after graduation. One student remarked, “I would definitely encourage other students to take part in the Expedition even if students are dead-set for graduate school. The expedition just allows us to see how real jobs are beyond simple descriptions in a job listing.”

Another student commented:

Just go for it! Reality is different than what we learn in books. Technology is changing everyday and this opportunity will help you a lot.

The next trip for ECE Expeditions is planned for spring break between February 24 and March 5, 2018. The destination and participating companies will be announced soon.

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Employees and alumni at DTE and Ford explained their work and the applied technology of their industries.