Regional Educators and Manufacturing Employers Join Efforts in Updating Machinist Training to Align with 21st-Century Industry Transformations
December 8, 2022
30 participants at inaugural workshop to learn about the new collaboration model and the latest industry developments impacting academic curricula and workplaces
WHAT: As Industry 4.0 (the fourth industrial revolution) transforms businesses’ operations and technician job functions in the advanced manufacturing industry, higher education institutions are focused on ensuring a pool of machinists with strong technical and leadership skills to fulfill the evolving hiring demands in the Finger Lakes region.
In partnership with Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Monroe Community College (MCC) is participating in a collaborative initiative on modernizing and accelerating machinist training and education to keep up with the pace of Industry 4.0 technology development. Developed by RIT, a new machinist training pilot program will be launched at MCC, Finger Lakes Community College, and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) throughout 2023 and 2024.
The initiative also aims to make training and career opportunities more accessible to residents, including hard-of-hearing individuals, through the innovative use of virtual/augmented reality.
In collaboration with regional industry, partners in the initiative will stay current on technical knowledge and skills through a series of workshops. The first workshop, scheduled for Dec. 9, will offer approximately 30 representatives from BOCES, MCC, RIT, Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association (RTMA) and employers, including Gleason Works and Raymond Corp., an opportunity to learn technologies and concepts being introduced in the industry.
The training program anticipates to serve approximately 360 high school and college students. Approximately 75 high school and postsecondary educators are expected to participate in workshops and surveys. Outcomes of the initiative will be disseminated throughout New York state and the country through collaborations with BOCES and the New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership. The initiative is funded by a $649,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
WHEN: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9
WHERE: MCC’s Applied Technologies Center, 2485 W. Henrietta Road