Advanced Manufacturing Growth Predicted for the State of Virginia
ECPI University Offering Programs Aligned with Employer Requirements
Virginia Secretary of Commerce and Trade Todd Haymore is quite optimistic about the Commonwealth’s manufacturing sector. Currently, he says Virginia has nearly 6,000 manufacturers and about 250,000 workers, and he expects those numbers to grow at a healthy pace. "There are 300 projects the Virginia Economic Development Partnership is working on with state, local and regional partners, and out of those 300 there are a number associated with manufacturing,'' Haymore said in a news report published in The News Virginian.
During his economic development trips – both domestic and abroad – Haymore says he usually finds a very receptive audience. "Fifty or 60 percent of the country's population is within a one-day drive of Virginia and we have a very, very good transportation infrastructure,'' he said. “There is also strong rail access and the port in Norfolk. We have the deepest port on the East Coast and there have been more than $300 million in investments in that port.”
Nonetheless, one challenge remains – producing enough skilled workers to fill all those new jobs. Deloitte Consulting and the Manufacturing Institute project that over the next ten years, two million manufacturing jobs throughout the nation will go unfilled because of the shortage of skilled workers.
What does this mean to you? Simply put, this is the ideal time to go to school and acquire the skills needed to work in advanced manufacturing. Today’s manufacturing environment is much different than it was just a couple decades ago. Take a look at most manufacturing operations and you will find spotless facilities that looks more like technology labs, filled with robotics and automated systems. Manufacturing companies need people who can program, maintain, and troubleshoot all of those systems.
Fortunately, Virginia is home to ECPI University, where you can develop the specific skills needed to do this kind of work. At its Virginia Beach, Newport News, Richmond/Innsbrook, Richmond/Moorefield, and Northern Virginia campuses, ECPI offers two programs that are directly aligned with the advanced manufacturing profession.
The Mechatronics program is designed to teach you about the three core areas related to advanced manufacturing – electronics, mechanical engineering technology, and computer systems. Your studies will focus on such areas as:
- Programmable Controllers
- Hydraulics and Pneumatics
- Testing and measuring instruments
- Microcontrollers
- Applied Mechanics
- Computer Hardware and Software
- Materials Science
- Analog/Digital Electronics and Communications
- Automation and Control Systems
- Computer Programming and Networks
If you want to specialize, we also offer a program in Electronics Engineering Technology. Both of these program are offered in our year-round, accelerated format, which means you can earn your Bachelor’s degree in as little as 2.5 years.
If those sounds like the kind of career worth exploring, take a moment and connect with one of ECPI University’s helpful admissions advisors today. The jobs of tomorrow are here today. So, what are you waiting for?
It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.
Gainful Employment Information – Electronics Engineering Technology - Bachelor’s
Gainful Employment Information – Mechatronics - Bachelor’s
For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.