Building Futures Through P-TECH Partnership

At Wendel, some of our most meaningful work happens when we step outside the office and into the community. Through our Long Island office, we are partnering with the Long Island P‑TECH Consortium to help high school students begin to see a future for themselves in energy engineering.

Bringing Industry to the Classroom

The P‑TECH program brings together students from Uniondale, Freeport, and Wyandanch in a six-year academic journey that begins in eighth grade. From ninth through twelfth grade, students build a strong foundation in technology, science, and business while gaining exposure to industry partners who help connect those subjects to real careers. That connection is what sets the program apart. Students are not only learning concepts but also beginning to understand how those ideas take shape in the field and what a future in the industry can look like. After graduation, they continue that path with a full scholarship to Vaughan College, where they can pursue degrees in electrical, aerospace, or audiovisual engineering. It is a thoughtful, well-structured pipeline that we are proud to support.

A Hands-On Look at Energy Engineering

Our role in the partnership is to share practical insight into energy engineering and show students how the work they are learning translates into real projects. This year, we hosted the program’s graduation ceremony, bringing together students, educators, and partners to celebrate what these graduates have accomplished and where they are headed next, while also giving them one more opportunity to engage with the field hands-on. As part of the event, our team led a mini energy audit activity that introduced students to the same tools our engineers use every day, including thermal cameras, light and humidity readers, and laser distance meters, and guided them through assessing how a space performs in terms of energy use and efficiency.

The exercise started simply but quickly opened the door to bigger conversations, and you could see the shift as students connected what they had been learning to something tangible. Those are the moments that make this kind of work meaningful, when curiosity sharpens into something more focused, and students begin to picture themselves in these roles.

Looking Ahead

This partnership is just getting started, and we plan to stay actively involved with the Long Island P‑TECH Consortium by coordinating enriching engagement opportunities each year over the next three years. The goal is to create consistent, meaningful touchpoints for current high school students, giving them regular opportunities to connect with the industry in a way that feels real and accessible while continuing to build on what they are learning in the classroom. We are also keeping the door open for graduates as they move into college, staying connected so we can offer guidance, share insight, and support them as they continue forward.

At its core, this effort reflects how we approach our work. Strong outcomes come from collaboration, consistency, and a genuine investment in people, and when students can see a path forward and feel supported along the way, the impact reaches well beyond a single event.