More than 400 College of Engineering freshmen from programs in Lincoln and Omaha will travel to Grand Island on Sept. 27 to visit several businesses and make connections for potential future employment with Nebraska companies.

Ten bus groups will visit businesses including the Central City Ethanol Plant, Chief Building, Diamond Plastics, Case IH, Chief Ethanol Fuels, Chief Fabrication, Flowserve, Global Industries North and South, Hastings Utilities, Hornady Manufacturing Company, McCain Foods USA, Nova-Tech Inc., Overhead Door, P&G Pet Care and Thermo King.

Dave Williams, director of retention for the college, worked with alumni and business leaders, including civil engineering alumnus and Kirkham Michael CEO Roger Helgoth and the Grand Island Area Economic Development Corp., to build connections at the companies.

“What we’re trying to do is, very early in the education process, connect those students with our members, and create and try to improve the pipeline of talent,” said Randy Gard, president of the Grand Island Area Economic Development Corp.

It will be the second community visit by engineering students in the last two years. Last September, several hundred students visited the Columbus area.

The program is part of the college’s initiative to expose students to Nebraska companies and alumni eager to hire them upon graduation. An engineering learning community group of more than 40 students also travels each spring break to U.S. cities such as Chicago, Phoenix and Boston, where they meet with college alumni.