Year after year, The Ohio State University EcoCAR team goes above and beyond to ensure the team has a meaningful impact on its own team members, the university, and on the community. Ohio State EcoCAR serves as a student organization on campus, allowing students from every major and background the opportunity to join different sub-teams and find meaningful work.
EcoCAR provides students with hands-on experience to use their technical knowledge and enhance their skills through collaboration. Students are challenged to think innovatively, taking what they learned in the classroom and applying their knowledge in a “real world” setting. Through direct access to high-grade tools, equipment, and software, students are placed into an environment simulating an industry workspace, allowing for growth and experiences students can look upon in their careers.
This access creates a great candidate for jobs, and this is proven through Ohio State EcoCAR’s job placement rate. With the challenges created by the COVID pandemic, Ohio State EcoCAR was able to maintain a rate of 88% for graduate employment for the 2019-2020 academic year. This is 22% higher than the job placement rate for the college of engineering at Ohio State, with a job placement rate of 66%.
In addition, the Columbus community truly feels the impact of EcoCAR as well. Despite Covid-19 restrictions hindering in person outreach events, the Ohio State team managed to create and oversee four virtual youth outreach events, giving presentations about the importance of STEM education and the EcoCAR program. Beyond youth events, throughout the past three years of the EcoCAR Mobility Challenge, Ohio State conducted approximately 40 public events reaching over 5000 people. EcoCAR truly presents the opportunity for college students to advance their education, serve their communities, and grow in knowledge of the automotive industry.
