Aerospace Industry Outlook Bright for South Carolina
Companies Seeking Employees with Skills Emphasized at ECPI University
The news coming out of the recent South Carolina Aerospace Conference & Expo is signaling massive growth throughout the state’s aerospace sector. Projections indicate it will nearly double during the next 10 years. In a news report published in the Columbia Regional Business Report, Steve Townes, CEO of Greenville-based Ranger Aerospace and chairperson of ACL AirShop, an air cargo services and leasing company, says the number of jobs directly tied to aviation should double to 200,000.
This growth only continues a pattern that has been well established. According to the S.C. Council on Competitiveness, the number of aviation workers has grown by 11.4 percent since 2010, eight times higher than the 1.4 percent average for the state overall. The council also reports that for every 10 jobs created in the state’s aerospace private sector, there are an additional 13 created in other sectors within the South Carolina economy.
Moreover, the Columbia Regional Business Report cites a study that found that the average wage in South Carolina’s aerospace cluster is $70,749. That’s a staggering 72 percent higher than the state’s average wage…and 46 percent higher than the average for manufacturing jobs as a whole.
By now, you may be thinking, “How do I get one of these jobs?” Well, first you need a very specific set of skills, depending on which part of the industry interests you. Largely, the skills that are in greatest demand revolve around electronics, mechanical engineering, and computer information science. If that sounds like a tall order, don’t fret. There is a way you can acquire skills like these in a relatively short time.
ECPI University and its campuses in Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston, South Carolina offer programs directly aligned with advanced manufacturing, namely, Electronics Engineering and Mechatronics. What’s more, we operate year-round, offering an accelerated program that can allow you to earn your Bachelor’s degree in as little as 2.5 years or an Associate’s in just 1.5 years.
The Electronics Engineering Technology program is for people who want to specialize in this area. It can prepare you to serve as an important link between engineers and technicians. Curriculum covers subject areas such as:
- Computer Hardware and Software
- Digital Electronics and Communications
- Data Acquisition and Control Systems
The Mechatronics program covers electronics as well, but also includes the two other key professional disciplines that power advanced manufacturing – Mechanical Engineering and Computer Information Systems. Its curriculum also includes:
- Applied Mechanics
- Programmable Controllers
- Hydraulics and Pneumatics
- Materials Science
- Microcontrollers
- Computer Programming and Networks
Want to learn how you can be sitting in class in a matter of weeks? Connect with one of ECPI University’s South Carolina campuses today. One of our helpful admissions advisors will be happy to help you explore all your options.
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
For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.