Recently Freeholder Director Bruce Garganio, along with Burlington County College and Parts Life, Inc., unveiled a new 3-D printer donated to the college that will be incorporated in a new professional development course this spring.
“This is an exciting step in our Burlington County Workforce Development Initiative, which is designed to better align the job training and education of today with the business needs of tomorrow,” Freeholder Director Garganio said. “This technology, already a driving force in design and engineering, has been used to create everything from wind turbines to a prosthetic human heart. Incorporating this state of the art device into the BCC curriculum means that our students will have the best tools for innovation at their fingertips, combining practical skills with the limitless potential for creativity and invention.
“Partnerships like this between Parts Life and BCC are perfect examples of how smart connections can lead to better career paths and better paying jobs in Burlington County,” Garganio said.
Director Garganio, Burlington County College Interim-President Dr. David Spang, and Parts Life, Inc. CEO Sam Thevanayagam ceremonially cut the ribbon on the 3D printer Wednesday at a lab in the TEC Building at BCC’s Mount Laurel campus.
“This partnership will continue our ongoing effort to ensure that Burlington County College remains at the forefront of technology and that our students receive the education and training needed for success in the job market,” Garganio said.
“A growing number of businesses are using 3-D printers and Burlington County College will soon offer instruction on this very relevant and state-of-the-art technology,” Spang said. “Parts Life’s generous donation will help provide modern training to workers and support students in a number of disciplines at the college. We appreciate Parts Life’s generosity and support of high-quality education in Burlington County.”
Parts Life CEO Thevanayagam noted the demand that businesses have for skilled workers with 3-D printing expertise.
That demand, coupled with the Parts Life donation, prompted the design of a workforce development course within the Corporate College that will begin this spring.
“What will set our course apart from others is a focus on the highly-technical skill of the scanning that goes into designing items before they are printed,” said BCC Physics Lecturer Greg Perugini, who sought a 3-D printer for use in BCC’s growing Undergraduate Research Program. “The printer will also be a great benefit for students in our engineering, physics and astronomy programs as another state-of-the-art learning tool to support our rigorous academic programs.”
