Research partnership between UCF and Siemens

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - University of Central Florida undergraduate research assistant Kaylee Dorman is working on the midframe of a gas turbine at the Siemens Energy Center on the UCF campus.

"Right now, I deal a lot with heat transfer for microturbines," Dorman said.

Dorman hopes to one day work in aviation, for now she says her training at the energy center gives her that extra edge in a competitive job market.

"If I hadn't have been here, I might not even have stuck with engineering, this opens your eyes to so man opportunities out in the field and different opportunities within the University," Dorman said.

It's these kinds of training programs that President Obama mentioned specifically in his State of the Union address, director of the Energy Center Professor Jay Kapat says the research partnership between UCF and Siemens which began in 2008 ensures students have the engineering skills that are in demand for airplane engines and power plants.

"Once the students are properly trained in the right disciplines and right ideas, where there is a need , a job is there always for the good students," Kapat said.

Professors say students training at the Siemens Energy center typically have jobs lined up well before graduation.

"None of them waited until graduation to get jobs, two of them haven't even graduated, they'll be finishing in this semester," Kapat said.

" I already have a couple jobs lined up, a couple internships wanting me, I lined up an internship in Switzerland for a whole year," Dorman said.

Every semester the Siemens partnership typically has about 30 students enrolled at a time.