These days, getting a degree isn’t always enough to land a job – on top of time spent in the classroom, prospective employees also need connections and internships. Fortunately for Luke Syverson, Northwest Technical College has provided him with all three.

Syverson, 19, is continuing his education to expand his job options and have a better chance at career advancement in the future.

“I really think that it opens up a whole new world of opportunities,” he says about earning a degree. “You also have a better chance of getting hired for specific jobs.”

His determination to earn a degree led him to NTC, a school close to his home in McIntosh, Minn., that he had heard many good things about from friends. At NTC, Syverson is enrolled in the Electrical Construction and Maintenance program and loves how much emphasis the program places on hands-on learning. Syverson also appreciates how helpful the instructors are in ensuring students’ success.

Not only are NTC’s instructors willing to go out of their way to make sure students are keeping up, but they also connect students with local companies in the area for networking and potential jobs. Gwen Oster, an instructor in the Electrical Construction and Maintenance program, set Syverson up with a work study opportunity, where he had the chance to experience some real-world electrical work outside of the classroom.

Syverson continues to gain experience in the field and use the skills he learned at NTC through a job at Tadovich Electric, a Bemidji-area electrical contracting company specializing in design, installation and maintenance of electrical systems. With a work study and job at Tadovich Electric on his résumé to complement his studies, Syverson is in a great position to get the job of his choosing when he graduates from NTC in 2016.