Student Gains Global Professional Experience through UC s International Co-op Program

Before Cory Murphy started work full time with GE Aviation, he completed an eight-month cooperative education rotation in Regensburg, Germany, working as a Production/Finance and Sourcing Co-op for

GE Aviation

.

Murphy, a recent Carl H. Lindner College of Business graduate and

2015 Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence

recipient, participated in the 2014 German

International Co-op Program (ICP)

through the University of Cincinnati's Division of Professional Practice and Experiential Learning (ProPEL). 

ProPEL’s ICP provides exciting opportunities for UC students to learn a second language and gain international experience through an overseas co-op assignment. The University of Cincinnati is one of the few universities in the United States which offers a structured, intensive language and culture experience combined with a co-op program. ICP is currently offered at UC in German, Japanese and Spanish.

Murphy’s most significant project during his international co-op rotation was a lost-time analysis of the GE Regensburg site operations. “I collected feedback from the hourly workers on a daily basis and analyzed the data to identify the top areas in need of improvement. This required me to also work with the engineering team on site, and this analysis helped the site to determine where to focus attention in order to increase our output,” explained Murphy. “My favorite part of this co-op assignment was making a measurable impact in the output of the site. Seeing the site become more productive from my own actions made me feel valuable to GE Aviation."

Prior to departing for his two-term international co-op assignment, Murphy completed more than 250 hours of German language coursework. ICP participants are required to take a six-week intensive German language course the summer before their international co-op assignment, a traditional course fall semester and a second intensive course in Köln, Germany, upon arrival for their international assignment.

The German ICP program gave Murphy the chance to learn a third language, as he already knew Turkish from a year-long study abroad program in Istanbul. Murphy believes that the international co-op program provided him with the opportunity to greatly improve his cultural awareness and foreign language knowledge.“Working in a multicultural environment was an exciting opportunity that challenged my foreign language skills," stated Murphy. 

“I strongly urge anyone wishing to take their career opportunities to the next level to engage the ICP program” states Murphy. “I believe that my language skills and co-op experience in Germany were major factors in both being offered a highly sought after position within GE nearly an entire year prior to graduation, as well as being selected to receive the Presidential Leadership Medal of Excellence – the highest award an undergraduate student can receive from the University of Cincinnati."

Murphy is now in a full-time position with GE Aviation in its Operations Management Leadership Program (OMLP). The OMLP is an internationally recognized leadership training program focusing on building future company leaders through world-class training, certifications and exposure to different functions throughout the supply chain. According to Murphy, OMLP gives participants the equivalent of three to five years of experience in only two years, thus serving as a career accelerator at America’s largest conglomerate.

To learn more about ProPEL's International Co-op Program, click

HERE