Several reports by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) forecast an increased need for a manufacturing workforce:
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“More than 50 percent of companies report plans to increase U.S.-based production by more than 5 percent in the next five years, with nearly a quarter of respondents planning to grow U.S.-based manufacturing roles by more than 10 percent in the next five years.”
Accenture study, authored in collaboration with NAM Institute -
“Nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs will need to be filled over the next decade. Because of economic expansion and the large number of expected retirements, nearly two million of those jobs will remain unfilled.”
Deloitte and the NAM Institute
Over the last year, Chuck Edwards and a group of Polytechnic faculty have developed an initiative to prepare graduates to work and lead in the manufacturing environment of the future. That group recently completed the curriculum portion of this effort with the approval of the new Smart Manufacturing Enterprise minor, which is open to students for fall 2019.
The Smart Manufacturing Enterprise minor prepares students for an entry-level career in a manufacturing environment or related industry by gaining knowledge about smart manufacturing practices and current manufacturing techniques, organizations, methods and technologies. The Smart Manufacturing Enterprise minor consists of a series of six courses to be completed by the student’s junior year. This will allow for the potential selection of a Smart Manufacturing Enterprise senior capstone project.
This effort is another example of how the Polytechnic responds to the needs of our nation and provides our students with exceptional career opportunities.
