EUGENE, OR - King Estate Winery isn't just serving up savory meals and great wines. It's serving up educational opportunities that recently led to its selection as 2013 Co-op Employer of the Year by Lane Community College.
A total of 24 students have worked at King Estate Winery in the last five years as part of Lane's Cooperative Education program, which enhances student learning while providing skilled workers to business, industry, government, and non-profit organizations.
"It has been a pleasure sharing the King Estate experience with the students of LCC," said King Estate Executive Chef Benjamin Nadolny. "They are gifted and eager to learn, providing local business owners and managers the confidence to grow and innovate their businesses. We encourage Lane Community College to keep looking up, we will be here looking up with you."
According to King Estate, the Winery was founded in 1991 by the King family. The beautiful estate of 1,033 acres is certified organic and includes 470 acres of organic vineyards, as well as 30 acres of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
Joe McCully, hospitality management instructor and cooperative education coordinator for culinary arts, hospitality management and food services at Lane, said King Estate Winery has been very proactive working with Lane and creating opportunities for students beyond the classroom.
"King Estate has been extremely supportive of our students, offering jobs for some who finished the co-op and allowing others already employed to complete the co-op ," McCully said. "And one of our students who did Co-Op at King Estate has become their executive sous-chef."
King Estate Winery is the first culinary recipient of the Employer of the Year Award, which was presented at the annual Advisory Committee Recognition Dinner in April.
This year's recipient is a prime example of the businesses that have participated year after year due to the relationships formed through the integration of classroom and community, says Cooperative Education Division Dean Al King. About 800 local businesses participate annually in the co-op program. The program's success is possible because the student, employer, and faculty all work together.
"Students inevitably describe it as the most important experience and they best experience they had at Lane," King said. "They really love co-op and we really love doing it for them."
King credits the program's popularity to Lane's deep roots in the community.
"There's a wonderful symbiotic relationship" King says of the partnerships between the college and local businesses. "We are the community's college."
The Cooperative Education program has been in place since Lane's inception. Nearly 50 years and 100,000 students later, the program is a proven factor in student success.
About Lane's Cooperative Education Program—
Cooperative Education is an academic program that provides credit for work experience that relates to the student's educational studies. Lane is the largest program west of the Mississippi River.
Since 1970, more than 7,500 local employers have benefitted from the Cooperative Education program. About 2,000 Lane students work at Co-Op job sites each year.
To learn more about the program and read about other successful partnerships, visit http://www.lanecc.edu/cooped
Lane is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. Visit online at www.lanecc.edu or www.twitter.com/lanenews or www.facebook.com/lanecommunitycollege
###