Jan. 30, 2025
William Bennett has career repairing massive ship engines waiting for him as employers target grads from Ferris State’s Heavy Equipment Service Engineering Technology program
When you’re a global leader in technology for the marine and energy markets, you can hire the best of the best.
For Wärtsilä, that means Ferris State University graduates.
“We’ve partnered with Ferris for a couple of years now, specifically for their Heavy Equipment Service Engineering Technology bachelor’s program and find their students to be well prepared to join our team,” said Rodney Weiskopf, resource coordinator for Wärtsilä, a Finnish company employing nearly 18,000 professionals in 79 countries.
Ferris State offers the only bachelor’s degree in the nation for Heavy Equipment Service Engineering Technology. The program provides instruction to develop the knowledge and skills required to test, diagnose, service and repair multiple interfacing and technically sophisticated electrical/electronic systems used in the agricultural, construction, forestry, stationary power and trucking industries.
It also seems to be a proving ground for the marine and energy industries.
Ferris State senior William Bennett interned the last two summers for Wärtsilä at the company’s U.S. headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After graduating this spring with his bachelor’s degree in Heavy Equipment Service Engineering Technology he’ll begin his career with the company as a field service engineer.
“This is probably one of the best companies you could work for,” said Bennett, 22, who grew up northeast of Big Rapids in Marion. “I’ll still live at home, but Wärtsilä will fly me out to work on jobs wherever I’m needed on land or sea in the U.S. or around the world.”
The company is committed to meeting the world’s increased demand for energy in a sustainable way.
Wärtsilä Marine produces a range of engines, digital technologies, propulsion systems, and integrated powertrain systems on cruise ships, cargo vessels and tankers, among others. Wärtsilä Energy solutions include flexible engine power plants, energy storage and optimization technology and services.
“Some jobs you’re sailing with the ship, other jobs you might be at a dock with the ship still in the water or in dry dock,” Bennett said. “There's a lot of possibilities for what I’ll be working on; it’s really exciting.”
Wärtsilä traditionally recruits at Montana State University-Northern but added Ferris State several years ago after hearing about its one-of-a-kind bachelor’s program. They’ve so far recruited three Ferris State students, Weiskopf said.
Ferris State implemented a Heavy Equipment Technology associate degree program in 1959 in old Army barracks with a single teacher. Today, the program is located in a modern, 53,000-square-foot facility considered one of the largest and best equipped in the United States.
The university introduced its bachelor's degree program in 1991 to keep pace with the technology revolution in the heavy equipment industry.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports overall employment of heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians is projected to grow 9 percent from 2023 to 2033, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 24,100 openings for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Thanks to his education and training at Ferris State, Bennett said he feels very good about his future. So does Weiskopf.
“Will has good character, he’s willing to learn, he’s eager to take on challenges and he’s responsible,” Weiskopf said. “He’s got a bright future ahead of him.”