McLaren Engineering Group, the northeast division of KCI Technologies, provides valuable professional insight, hands-on learning and real-world experiences to students in the Bergen County Institutes for Science & Technology, part of Bergen County Technical Schools (BCTS). Employees at the company invest significant time helping students in the Interactive Design Technology and User Experience Design (UX) and User Interface Design (UI) programs understand and prepare for the range of responsibilities that fall under a marketing and design department. Such dedication earned McLaren the 2024 Business Partner of the Year honor from BCTS.
McLaren employees present interactive lessons that often involve a challenge for students to work on in teams over a few weeks’ time. They then critique the students’ work, offering valuable feedback to sharpen the students’ professional and technical skills.
“We are committed to inspiring the next generation of UX/UI designers and enjoy partnering with Bergen County Institutes for Science & Technology to bring some real-world problem solving into the classroom,” said Denisa Moss-Heitlager, vice president of marketing at McLaren Engineering Group.
“Bringing industry professionals into the classroom provides our students with early experience in how to receive and use professional feedback,” added Andrea Sheridan, assistant superintendent for BCTS. “We also find that these types of interactions help our students see the importance of soft skills such as communication, teamwork and time management.”
McLaren employees also attend advisory board meetings for the programs to help administrators and instructors provide relevant and challenging learning experiences that best prepare students for future success.
Over the past three years, the relationship between McLaren and the Bergen County Institutes for Science & Technology has further evolved to include an internship opportunity. The company accepts senior students to intern in its marketing and design department. This further exemplifies McLaren Engineering Group’s investment in preparing BCTS students to enter these creative career areas.
