Broadband for All: Capitol Career Conference Highlights OneWeb Mission

Building global internet access is an endeavor that betters the lives of billions, and the global communications firm OneWeb is helping to spearhead the effort.

Hank Tseu, a senior ground software architect at the firm, will be visiting the Capitol Technology University on Tuesday (September 26) to discuss OneWeb’s plans to build the world’s largest satellite constellation in a bid to make affordable internet access available to everyone on the planet.

According to the company, “we’re applying advanced technologies such as cloud computing and big data to launch and operate the world’s largest satellite constellation. And by doing so, we will transform how the world interacts with the internet through affordable, ubiquitous access for all.”

Tseu is the keynote speaker at this fall’s Career Conference at Capitol, a twice-yearly event designed to help match companies and organizations with up-and-coming talent in the business and technology fields.

“We’re excited,” said associate director of career services Sarah Alspaw, who is organizing the event. “The skills and qualifications of our students happen to match OneWeb’s hiring needs closely, and we also believe students will be excited to hear about the company’s mission and the opportunities they might have to contribute.”

Firms like OneWeb depend on being able to recruit qualified engineers and technologists, and Capitol attracts these industries because of the degree programs offered at the university, including astronautical engineering and computer science, Alspaw said.

Industry is drawn to Capitol because of its ABET-accredited engineering programs and its designation as Center of Excellence in cybersecurity, and because of the practical experience that students at the university acquire early on, she said.

“They’re impressed by the hands-on projects that students are involved in here, such as the Cactus-1 satellite project, and by the fact that these projects are largely student-driven,” she said. “We enable our students to become leaders early on in their academic career, whereas at other schools that might not get that experience until their senior year.

Companies, Alspaw said, are also impressed by the Capitol Technology University Commitment, under which the school pledges that qualified graduates will be hired at competitive salaries within their fields within 90 days of graduation. Should that not happen, Capitol offers up to 36 undergraduate credits tuition-free.

“It shows we have great confidence in our programs and in the employability of our graduates,” she said. “Not many schools are willing to make that kind of commitment.”

The Career Conference will take place from at the McGowan Center on the Capitol campus in Laurel, MD. Doors open at 10 am for juniors and seniors, and at 11 am for freshmen and sophomores. Workshops will be held in the afternoon, from 2pm to 5pm. You do not have to be a Capitol student to attend; the event is open to interested members of the wider community. For more information, contact Career Services at careers@captechu.edu