Training will be driven by the needs of local advanced manufacturing employers.
A new Advanced Manufacturing Center has opened at the Burlington County Institute of Technology in partnership with Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC).
RCBC, in partnership with Rowan University, recently earned a $770,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to develop an advanced manufacturing educational center.
Officials hope the center at BCIT will become the region’s premier educational center for manufacturing.
“This Advanced Manufacturing Center puts Burlington County at the forefront in providing skilled workers to fill the many high-paying advanced manufacturing positions that are available today in this sector,” said Burlington County Freeholder Director Bruce Garganio. “This is also a message to businesses that through our Workforce Development Institute, we can work together to create solutions to keep your business in Burlington County and drive growth throughout the region.”
The training, which also includes BCIT and the college’s Workforce Development Institute as partners, will be driven by the needs of local advanced manufacturing employers.
In addition, the new associate degree program will provide a key link between the BCIT’s innovative Advanced Manufacturing program at the Medford campus, where students will have access to both the NIMS (National Institute of Metalworking Skills) Level I & II credential assessments and Rowan University’s engineering programs.
Next fall, RCBC will offer mechanical engineering with a certificate in advanced manufacturing on the Mt. Laurel campus.
“All the stars have aligned to transform Burlington County into the premier advanced manufacturing center in our region,” RCBC President Paul Drayton said. “Advanced manufacturing provides some of the higher salaries in the workforce and we will provide all the tools needed for residents to enter, advance and flourish in this growing industry from high school through associate and bachelor’s degrees.”
Rowan University’s Mechanical Engineering program will be heavily involved in implementing the program in coordination with industry leaders.
“This is a perfect example of how our partnership can fuel innovation and drive the regional economy,” Rowan University President Ali Houshmand said. “Advanced manufacturing is a critical piece to the state’s economic future and we will provide the best training programs possible for this growing field.”
Advanced manufacturing training has already begun at BCIT. Thirty-three students have engaged in the exploration of the four-year program in Advanced Manufacturing and Fabrication. Additionally, the college’s Workforce Development Institute is partnering with BCIT’s Adult Education Division for adults who are interested in entering this field. The initial six-week training program will begin in January 2017.
The grant also provides funding for improvements to the college’s Electronic Engineering Technology program. The National Science Foundation previously awarded the college a grant in 2007 that focuses on this area and RCBC and BCIT recently partnered on a program that provides high school students the opportunity to earn 30 credits toward an Electronic Engineering Technology degree before college.
