CPCC Receives $695,767 in Grant Funding and Equipment Donations July 26, 2008
Funds to Support Advanced Manufacturing/Integrated Systems Technology Training Program
Central Piedmont Community College (CPCC) announced today that the College has received grant and equipment donations in excess of $695,000 from Duke Energy, Philip Morris USA and CHIRON America in support of the College’s Advanced Manufacturing / Integrated Systems Technology (AM/IST) Program. This new funding for the AM/IST program will enhance CPCC’s ability to provide a state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing learning experience for both CPCC students and the region’s manufacturing workforce. The funding will also enable CPCC to assist manufacturing companies in training a new generation of emerging manufacturing leaders.
The Charlotte region’s economic development leaders have identified advanced manufacturing as an industry sector of strategic importance to the region’s future economic viability. The manufacturing sector in the Charlotte region employs 167,000 workers with over 34,000 employed in Mecklenburg County. While the manufacturing industry in and around Charlotte remains strong it also faces significant challenges over the next five to ten years. CPCC’s AM/IST program is designed to assist manufacturing companies to meet these challenges.
Highly skilled workers are retiring in record numbers just as technology and the need to stream- line manufacturing processes are becoming a requirement for success. “The AM/IST program will, with the help of industry partners like Duke Energy, PMUSA and CHIRON America, provide area companies with skilled technologists that are trained to both maintain and operate computer controlled manufacturing and automated warehousing equipment,” states Dr. Tony Zeiss, President of CPCC. “ The AM/IST program will also prepare emerging and existing managers to lead the change initiative associated with both new manufacturing technology and improved manufacturing processes. We are extremely grateful to Duke Energy, Philip Morris USA, and CHIRON America for their generous contributions.”
The new funding sources for the AM/IST program which total $695,767 are as follows:
- Duke Energy - $245,870
- Philip Morris USA - $178,697
- CHIRON America - $271,200 (equipment)
The funding sources noted above will be used to enhance CPCC’s $1.1 M Integrated Systems Lab that was established in 2003 through a funding partnership between Duke Energy, the US Department of Labor and the North Carolina Commerce Commission.
The latest investments will serve learners who fall into three groupings: First are the Emerging Workers…a group comprised of CPCC’s current and future students seeking degrees, and certificates in manufacturing and related disciplines. The second group of learners includes Incumbent Workers who are already employed but are seeking enhanced competency based skills and/or management related skills in leadership and manufacturing processes. The third group is comprised of learners who are unemployed or underemployed seeking to learn new skills or upgrade their existing skills.
New funding from the three industry partners noted above will be invested to assist these three learner constituencies through the following Advanced Manufacturing/Integrated Systems enhancements:
- A 1450 sq. ft. Advanced Manufacturing Station that will be comprised of:
- A Chiron robotic advanced manufacturing machine which will allow AM/IST learners to prove their mastery of integrated systems skill sets for the maintenance and operation of sophisticated computer controlled multi axis milling machinery.
- An Amatrol Motor Control unit that will provide learners with training on electrical elements found in advanced manufacturing machinery.
- A computerized automated warehousing system. With this equipment learners will gain experience working with a state-of- the-art, computer controlled materials storage and transportation components.
- An assessment tool that will allow CPCC to assess learners in the existing Integrated Systems Technology curriculum and determine gaps in their knowledge, skills and abilities. The assessment tool will also map appropriate learning activities to address those skill gaps.
- New Course Development in content areas like robotic programming, efficiency calculations and the application of motor theory to practical control applications.
- Matching funds to recruit industry partners to participate in pilot classes to evaluate the efficacy of training through workplace evaluations of performance gains.
- The establishment of a Manufacturing Leaders Academy that will provide incumbent workers with the skills to make manufacturing companies more competitive. The MLA will train learners to be world-class manufacturing and operations leaders by enhancing their knowledge process improvement tools and techniques while providing them with leadership skills to train and lead others.
Contact Information:
Jerri Haigler, CPCC
704-330-6660
704-995-2769
jerri.haigler@cpcc.edu
