Lake Washington Technical College recently announced that it has formed a new partnership with the ED Company, a worldwide electronics company based in Seoul, South Korea.

The agreement includes a donation to the college of nearly one-million-dollars worth of electronics educational training equipment.

“This is a win-win situation,” says Dr. Sharon McGavick, LWTC president. “The college will obtain state-of-the-art electronics equipment for its students to train on and the ED Company will be able to establish a presence in the U.S.”

The partnership came about through the college’s three-year sister-school relationship with the Korea Polytechnic colleges (KOPO), an organization made up of forty-three technical colleges in South Korea.

“This relationship was a result of Governor Gregoire’s trade mission to South Korea a few years ago,” explains McGavick. “That’s what really set the wheels in motion.” The ED Company plans to donate six different types of electronic equipment: fluid mechatronics, mechatronics, automation, electricals/electronics/embedded, communication and information technology and measuring instruments.

The first installment is scheduled to arrive from South Korea in spring of 2008 and will total more than $600,000.

The remaining equipment will be shipped over the next three years, with additional supplies to follow as the partnership evolves.

Initially, the ED Company will own the equipment, but after three years, the ownership will revert to LWTC. Updated equipment will continue to be sent over time to ensure that students always have the best and most modern training capabilities possible.

“This is a very exciting situation for us,” adds McGavick. “It positions us as a leader in the state in the electronics training industry. And as part of the agreement, we will be remodeling our electronics program instructional area to accommodate the donated equipment.”

Paul Axtell, Dean of Industrial Technology for LWTC is delighted with the partnership as he views it as a wonderful opportunity for students at the college.

He comments, “It will create an environment that will provide realistic, real world training experience. And it will present tremendous opportunities for the students because future employers will be able to come and see the equipment and training in progress. They will know that our students are receiving the best and most current training available to prepare them for a career in the industry.”

Currently, there are 60 students in the electronics program at LWTC. The two-year course of study readies enrollees for jobs in a variety of areas within the electronics industry including communications, manufacturing, home security and energy.

“This industry is a global operation,” adds Axtell. “And the technology is growing so fast. We can’t keep up with it unless we engage in these types of partnerships because they give us access to the latest equipment.”

Once the newly-renovated electronics program instructional area is complete, the ED Company will send employees to LWTC to help train instructors in the operation of the equipment, as well as to assist in developing curriculum.

“We hope everything will be ready to go in late spring, but it depends on the progress of the renovation,” says Axtell. “This is going to be a top instructional demonstration site that will serve as a showcase for both the ED Company and the college.”