University recognizes Swisslog as top employer of graduates

Christopher Newport University’s Center for Career Planning’s annual graduate survey for the class of 2014 selected Swisslog North America as a “Top Employer” for businesses focused on science and technology.

Swisslog Logistics has been aiding CNU in educating students about the lifelong process of career development by engaging in student internship programs, career fairs and company showcase events since 2013. The company’s Newport News, Va., office is now home to CNU graduates in departments ranging from software, incident response, controls, and engineering.

“We are honored to be selected by the University as we have worked hard at Swisslog to encourage students to explore the material handling industry,” said Ray Johnson, human resources manager for Swisslog. “Our student open house in 2014 and our summer internship programs have been a great success for Swisslog. Our company has more than doubled in size since 2011 so working with nearby colleges has enabled us to develop local talent as well as meet our ever increasing demand for professionals.”

In April of 2014, Swisslog held an open house for students from surrounding academia such as ODU (Old Dominion University), CNU (Christopher Newport University) and ECPI (East Coast Polytechnic Institute). The purpose of the event was to provide students in the community with the opportunity to learn about the industry, support internship program recruitment and eventually help students obtain employment in the areas of software engineering, controls engineering, mechanical engineering and more.

Additionally, Swisslog remains heavily involved in the CNU “Pizza my Mind” program hosted by the Department of Physics, Computer Science and Engineering and will be presenting on October 29, 2015. The showcase sessions give employers the chance to showcase their company and products with a 15-20 minute presentation.

“Being selected as a top employer to CNU affirms that we are succeeding at recruitment and engaging their students in supply chain logistics,” said Markus Schmidt, senior vice president, Swisslog Americas. “Partnering with CNU for internship programs has given students the opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom to real life scenarios. As the demand for automated solutions continues to increase, the supply chain industry is calling for software, controls and mechanical engineering focused students that are looking for an innovative and rewarding career path.”