<h2>Employer Testimonials</h2>
<p>Are you interested in networking with and hiring SIUE students and alumni? The SIUE <a href="http://www.siue.edu/careerdevelopmentcenter/about/index.shtml">Career Development Center</a> can help. Hear what local business leaders have to say about the quality of our graduates.<br /></p>
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<td width="250" align="right" valign="top"><img height="188" width="125" alt="David Oates" src="http://www.siue.edu/engineering/img/Oates_donor_profile.jpg" /></td>
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A civil and structural engineering firm offering services from concept through construction, more than half of Oates Associates' 42 employees are SIUE alumni.<br /><br />
<p>"SIUE graduates have strong communication skills and are always well-grounded in the basics," said David Oates, founder and president of Oates Associates.<br /> "They come to us ready to work and are committed to making the St. Louis Metro East a better place.</p>
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<td width="250" valign="top"><img src="http://www.siue.edu/engineering/img/basier-bill.jpg" alt="" width="250" height="170" /></td>
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Bill Basler, CEO of Basler Electric, is committed to maintaining a strong relationship with the SIUE School of Engineering. Basler Electric has donated time, talent and financial resources to the School over the years. Most recently, Basler engineers worked with a group of SIUE students on their senior design project. “We all benefitted from the experience, and both Basler and SIUE learned about wind farms,” Bill said.<br /><br />
<p>According to Bill, the industry/university relationship is a win-win. “It is important to mix industry and education,” Bill said. “Through our collaborations, the School of Engineering knows what we are looking for in future engineers. Collectively, we are able to give students a good picture of what they need to be able to do out in the real world. As a result, SIUE students come to us much more prepared. They bring not only the basic knowledge, but the applied knowledge as well.</p>
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