In May 2023 John Trubach will become the first in his family to graduate from college. The Sheffield Lake resident is earning a Bachelor of Applied Science in microelectronic manufacturing (MEMS) from Lorain County Community College – the only college in Ohio to offer the degree. For Trubach, who wanted to begin a career in printed circuit board design, the choice was easy. 

“For me, it was all about the cost of attending community college compared to public four-year colleges,” Trubach, 23, said. “And the location.” 

LCCC’s Bachelor of Applied Science in MEMS teaches core content in Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and microelectronic manufacturing, design, assembly and prototyping. And, making it even more lucrative, the program has paid internships built into the curriculum.  

LCCC has partnered with over 80 Northeast Ohio microelectronics companies looking for trained workers, ensuring the program’s coursework teaches students like Trubach exactly what they want new hires to know on the job. During his time in the program, Trubach gained work experience at several local companies, including Technology Repair Group, EMX Industries, and Arrow International. 

“I worked on assignments at work that heavily correlate to what I had learned in the classroom,” Trubach said. “For example, learning how to solder PCBs with lead and lead-free solder and placing components onto the PCB themselves.” 

The program’s class-to-career connection, along with ample networking opportunities, career fairs, and resume writing assistance, helped Trubach land a full-time job in September 2021. He’s now a laboratory technician at RepairBit LLC, a local company that specializes in repairing crypto miners. 

“I was able to gain perspective on what companies are looking for and how to apply the knowledge from classroom into the workplace,” Trubach said. “I have to call out Johnny Vanderford and Courtney Tenhover for helping me find jobs that relate to our program.” 

While the help Trubach received from MEMS associate professor, Johnny Vanderford, and program developer, Courtney Tenhover, was tailored to his career interests, it’s a focused job-placement service that every MEMS student receives. And it’s part of the reason why both the associate and bachelor’s degree programs have a 100% job placement rate among graduates.  

“The MEMS program was built with a focus on career placement,” said Vanderford. “So, from day one, these students are learning skills and practicing procedures on our campus that are immediately applicable in a workplace.” 

Trubach said this format helped set LCCC apart from any other college or university and set him apart during the interview process.  

“The earn and learn program helped me with career placement; being able to hold experience over others that might be graduating from college or university with the knowledge only being in theory, rather than theory and practicality.”  

And while an affordable tuition initially drew Trubach to LCCC, he’s still amazed that he has earned a four-year degree, with a full-time job landed prior to graduation, without taking on debt. 

“I’ve never had to take out student loans to pay for my college,” Trubach said. “I’m graduating with $0 in student loans.”