A US$1.1 million milestone agreement was signed on Wednesday, September 20, 2006 between several Swiss luxury watch groups and representatives from the Oklahoma State University campuses in Okmulgee and Stillwater. The new funding follows a US$650,000 investment in the program made by the Swiss watch industry in 2002. The agreement affirms the Swiss watch industry’s commitment to the Watchmaking & Microtechnology program at OSU-Okmulgee.

Swiss watch representatives from Audemars Piguet, Breitling, The Richemont Group, and The Swatch Group gathered on the OSU-Okmulgee campus to announce the agreement. Additionally, the Director of WOSTEP (Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Education Program) traveled from Switzerland to participate in signing the agreement to commemorate the partnership between the watchmaking industry and the university.

“I thank the Swiss watch industry and Oklahoma State University for this commitment,” says WOSTEP director Maarten Pieters. “We’re looking forward to another five years of success.”

WOSTEP is the certification entity that represents the industry in setting standards and coordinating the worldwide partnerships for approved watchmaking programs. The WOSTEP curriculum and competencies include studies in micromechanics, mechanical watches, chronographs, electronic watches, external parts, and organization of after-sales service. A total of 14 WOSTEP partnership programs are currently approved in North America, China, U.K., Japan, Sweden, France and Germany, with five of the programs located in North America. OSU-Okmulgee was the first program and was approved in 1994.

Denis Jacquenoud of The Richemont Group feels the college and partnership have produced excellent graduates. “All of the companies report the OSU-Okmulgee students they have hired have been of superior quality; not only are they excellent watchmakers, they are also outstanding citizens with a good work ethic.”

The new five-year commitment provides additional funding for OSU-Okmulgee’s watchmaking program to expand instructional and technological capabilities, as well as increase student enrollment. The sponsorship provides funding for additional faculty and staff resources, continuing professional development, scholarships, equipment, supplies, marketing and industry image enhancement.

“The watchmaking program at the OSU-Okmulgee campus is truly one of the jewels of the OSU System,” says David J. Schmidly, OSU System CEO and President, who also signed the agreement. “We appreciate the Swiss watch industry’s continued support and confidence in our program, and I congratulate OSU-Okmulgee Associate Vice President Anita Gordy-Watkins and her team on this milestone.”

Gordy-Watkins, who oversees the program, says dedicated, capable graduates are proving vital to the luxury watch industry, because they are key to ensuring optimum quality and quantity of after-sales service for Swiss made watches in world markets.

“I think one reason our students are performing so well is that they leave here with a well-rounded education,” says Gordy-Watkins. “First, when they pass the final examinations in a WOSTEP-approved school, they earn the WOSTEP certificate, which is recognized throughout the world as the superior qualification in watchmaking. Second, they graduate with a 95-credit hour Associate in Applied Science degree. This prepares them to bring important qualities to the workplace, such as verbal and written communications skills, mathematical and scientific abilities, ethics, leadership, political awareness and historical understanding. Employers always compliment us on how easily our students adjust to the work environment and how professionally they relate to customers in addition to performing with excellent technological aptitude.”

OSU-Okmulgee’s 60-year heritage in watchmaking education dates to the college's beginning in 1946, when watchmaking was one of the original programs designed for World War II veterans needing to re-enter the workforce. The program now focuses on sophisticated luxury watches and offers an Associate in Applied Science degree in addition to certification by WOSTEP.

“This renewed sponsorship positions OSU-Okmulgee to build on its success,” says OSU-Okmulgee President Bob Klabenes. “Our graduates go to work for some of the most prestigious watch companies and service centres in the world. These are lucrative careers and our Swiss watch partners need more technological professionals of the quality we are producing.”

Sebastian Amstutz of Breitling agrees that programs such as OSU-Okmulgee’s are the solution to providing highly skilled professionals to become members of an elite and lucrative workforce. “We appreciate what the university and WOSTEP have accomplished.”

Shane Dixon, an OSU-Okmulgee watchmaking graduate now working for the Orlando Watch Company in Winter Park Florida, flew in for the occasion. He said before he came to OSU-Okmulgee, he knew very little about luxury watches. “Any prospective student interested in watchmaking should know this is an extremely demanding profession with high standards and expectations. It takes dedication, effort, and passion to become a WOSTEP certified watchmaker. Once the certification is yours, so is your future. Working conditions are great, and how much you earn is up to you.”



By Rex Daugherty

Source: www.osu-okmulgee.edu

www.osu-okmulgee.edu

(Please credit europastar.com)