ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

The “skills gap” affecting the manufacturing industry has been a topic of conversation for some time, but has soared even higher in the years since the 2008 recession. As a result, manufacturers are facing difficulties filling open positions due to a lack of qualified and skilled applicants. The College has been committed to addressing this gap for these high-tech, high-wage jobs.

One way that the College is doing that is with the help of a $560,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation to develop a new mechatronics program and upgrade equipment for the welding program in Rowan County.

Mechatronics originated from advanced manufacturing. Mechatronics engineers work to automate the transfer of materials and goods in the manufacturing process. Additionally, mechatronics engineers are well-compensated for their work with an average compensation range from $64,000-$96,000, based on tenure level.

“We are grateful to Golden LEAF for their continued support of our community’s workforce development needs and appreciate this vote of confidence in our ability to deliver critical advanced manufacturing training,” said President Spalding.

The new Mechatronics Engineering Technology program at Rowan-Cabarrus prepares students for jobs requiring electrical, mechanical, and computer skills necessary to work on complex systems found in advanced manufacturing environments. The program combines theory and hands-on education.

The new mechatronics lab includes technology and robotics to support distributing, testing, processing, handling, buffering, purchasing, sorting, and assembling. Students will learn not only why something works but how to put that theory into practice. In 2019, the College will introduce a pathway for high school students to take courses toward a certification in mechatronics while still completing their high school diploma.

Also in 2018, Rowan-Cabarrus continued to enhance and expand its new four-year apprenticeship training program.

“We started this program because companies need more multi-craft maintenance technicians who have a mastery of all required job duties, but most of our local companies do not have the critical mass to run an apprenticeship program,” said

Tashina Mahatha, account manager in business services at Rowan-Cabarrus. “By the College taking on the administrative functions, this allows companies to join a collective of manufacturing companies to ensure that their apprentices get the training they need when they need it.”

However, the costs for this program were not insignificant for local employers. The training costs associated with the apprenticeship is estimated to be $3,500 – $5,000 for the four-year program, which includes the cost of books.

Thanks to the Duke Energy Foundation generously providing a $200,000 grant to support the Multi-Craft Maintenance Technician Apprenticeship program, the apprenticeship program is now generously funding all tuition, book and material costs for each apprentice over the next four years. In addition, the grant allocated money to purchase new equipment and related supplies that will be housed in the College’s new Advanced Technology Center in Kannapolis, which is slated to open at the end of 2019.

Currently, Rowan-Cabarrus is partnering with local companies, including Trelleborg Boots North America Inc. and Carolina Color Corporation, to provide apprenticeship training over the next four years for employees to become multi-craft certified. Their employees will participate in theoretical instruction and 2,000 hours of on-the-job-training simultaneously.

“We are grateful to Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas for their continued support of our community’s workforce development needs and appreciate this vote of confidence in our ability to develop this unique apprenticeship program,” said President Spalding. “Without investments like this, it would be difficult for small businesses to fund their own apprenticeships and this will make it much more accessible for them.”

The program is slated to support 42 local individuals over the four-year grant period.

The North Carolina Manufacturing Institute is also continuing to grow and expand. With nearly 50 local manufacturers on board, the job opportunities for those interested are practically limitless.

Graduates with little-to-no manufacturing experience are securing employment by transforming themselves into career-ready manufacturing professionals through this no-cost eight-week training program. As part of the North Carolina Manufacturing Institute initiative, they gain knowledge and skills in safety, quality assurance, manufacturing processes and maintenance awareness.

“I absolutely love my job and can honestly say I never would have gotten a job like this if I hadn’t received the NC Manufacturing Institute scholarship and gone through the training program,” said Chris McDonald, graduate of the NC Manufacturing Institute. “My work is satisfying. I have a real career now. I’m getting paid vacations for the first time in my life, not to mention that I’m saving a lot of money on gas because the plant is only five minutes from my house!”

Those who have not considered manufacturing as a viable career option or those with no experience in the field should not be deterred from pursuing the program.

“While we hear a lot about low unemployment, many of us know people who are still piecing together multiple part-time jobs or who are desperately searching for a good job,” said Craig Lamb, vice president of corporate and continuing education at Rowan-Cabarrus. “This program is for anyone who wants a quality full-time job with full benefits – it doesn’t matter what your background is, it matters what your future is.”

There are well-paying jobs in manufacturing available right here in Rowan and Cabarrus counties. In fact, almost 90 percent of graduates find full-time employment within one month of graduating.