07/12/2015
Lowell Sun
By Dan O'Brien
CHELMSFORD -- Dan Peters, a UMass Lowell senior majoring in management information systems, had just given a five-minute summary of the six months of work he had done as a co-op at Kronos Inc., the $1 billion-per-year Chelmsford-based labor-management software company that serves customers throughout the world.
Peters, a Shirley resident, smoothly recounted his work on a team using Kronos technology to determine sales territories, reporting and analytics. He concluded his talk by describing what he learned from the experience as a whole and how it related to his career outlook.
"I was looking for a less controlling environment than what I get in a classroom," he told a room filled with about 70 fellow co-ops, Kronos executives and UMass Lowell officials on Thursday.
"And I found that there are a lot of different ways I can use my skills as a database administrator.
"Are there any questions?"
A hand quickly shot up toward the back of the room. Peters nodded in that direction.
"How soon can I hire you?" a Kronos executive, whom CEO Aron Ain later identified as Gregg Gordon, asked.
That about sums up the success the company had with UMass Lowell's inaugural co-op program.
Since January, 10 UMass Lowell students have worked full time at Kronos in a variety of roles, including professional services, sales and marketing. The new relationship is designed to offer students opportunities to put their classroom instruction to the test and for Kronos to offer professional-level experience -- as well as potentially cultivate potential additions to its growing workforce.
"When they leave college, they're babes in the woods," said Scott Latham, interim dean of UMass Lowell's Manning School of Business. "A program like this makes them better able to leverage what we teach."
In addition to the valuable work experience, each student received a $3,000 scholarship from the company for the next semester. Unlike many internships, co-op programs represent full-time work and involve compensation.
Ain said the company is thrilled to offer opportunities to students.
"They learn soft skills, such as communication and getting along with others to accomplish tasks," he said. "And they realize how important it is to get out bed every morning and be at a certain place at a certain time."
While several UMass Lowell students have participated in the Kronos internship program, this is the first time the two organizations have completed an official co-op program specifically designed for UMass Lowell students. The program will continue with the second session starting in the fall.
Ain said it isn't even important that students want to work at Kronos once they're finished school.
"If they decide after doing this that it isn't quite right, that they want to pursue something else, that's fine," he said. "We're happy to help guide them in the direction they want to go.
"We have a duty, I think, to give back to the communities we're in, and to invest in the next generation, whether it's Chelmsford or California or India."
Latham said a co-op program placates parents who have increasingly expressed concern over whether the rising investment in a college education continues to be worthwhile.
"They want to know if their kid is going to be able to get a good job," he said. "A co-op program puts them a little at ease.
Besides, many of them "have seen Kronos' explosive growth in the past decade."