Submitted Photo P-TECH student David Gee of Dunkirk is pictured during the recent Senior Advancement Ceremony. Gee has recently earned full-time employment with Rand Precision Machining in Falconer ahead of his first semester with Jamestown Community College.

At 17 years old it’s sometimes tough to find full-time work you’re interested in.

For P-TECH student David Gee of Dunkirk that wasn’t the case.

Gee has been spending the better part of his summer working 50-plus hours a week for Rand Precision Machining in Falconer.

“When I was in middle school and even entering P-TECH I wasn’t sure where I’d end up,” Gee said. “Next thing I know I’m at Rand, enjoying work but also working with ‘high-tech’ components … it’s kind of fun.”

By following the Machine Tooling pathway at P-TECH, Gee has gained experience in machining and in Computer-Aided Design & Drafting. Before even entering Jamestown Community College to complete the P-TECH program and earn his associate’s degree he is accruing experience in an industry he’s passionate about.

“I think working at Rand will teach me a lot of skills like being focused and hard-working and careful,” Gee said. “There’s a certain level of this is really cool and there’s a certain level of this is me doing something more important than working in the deli like I used to or mowing lawns … there’s a certain level of ‘Hey, I can’t screw this up.’ If I missed a couple of blades of grass it was whatever, but there’s nothing you can miss now.”

Gee isn’t the first P-TECH student to find full-time work at Rand. He was recommended by Joseph Schwartz of Southwestern, a P-TECH student who is also entering the fifth year of the program.

“Joe worked at Rand and he must have spread the good word about P-TECH. They seemed really interested in hiring more kids from P-TECH,” Gee said. “During my interview, they said Joe was from P-TECH, you’re from P-TECH, are there any other students interested?”

During his senior year at P-TECH, Gee was inducted into the National Honor Society and was able to secure full-time employment. He credits some of his accomplishments to P-TECH and how it tailored his educational experience to fit his style.

“At P-TECH there’s definitely a higher ceiling that you can cap at because not only are there smaller class sizes but you get hands-on learning and a lot more attention and focus is paid to each student. You’re not required to reach that ceiling, but it’s there if you put the effort in,” he said. “There’s a level of trust and freedom at P-TECH that definitely helps because it makes you feel better about yourself and it feels like there’s more that you can do. It definitely adapts around your learning style.”