2014 Evolution of Manufacturing

SBN Staff
2:07 am
January 27, 2014

2014 Evolution of Manufacturing

The ever-changing field of manufacturing

The manufacturing industry is changing fast. As the pace of evolution quickens, it is creating new demands for improved operations, new technologies, products or services. As Craig McAtee, executive director at the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers, says, “Technology and innovation runs through all sectors, including energy, defense, aerospace, automotive, physics, the arts and biomedical — and the manufacturers are at the forefront of all of it, again.

“America was built on ‘making stuff.’ Over the last three to four decades, we have been losing our edge in the global manufacturing world to several other countries. It’s really all about innovation/product ideation that seeds manufacturing (making stuff) and entrepreneurism. Additive manufacturing is fueling innovation once again in the U.S., real time.”

As the needs in manufacturing continue to evolve, Cuyahoga Community College is evolving too. Cuyahoga Community College’s 50,000-square-foot Advanced Technology Training Center features high-bay labs, multipurpose training areas and an energy-efficient and naturally lighted environment for learning. The ATTC links workforce education to the latest technology, and combined with the college’s Unified Technologies Center, it is the largest technology training complex in Ohio. The ATTC provides students with education, hands-on training and employment preparation skills for well-paying jobs.

Cuyahoga Community College is committed to advancing manufacturing training within Northeast Ohio by creating partnerships with employers to meet the needs for workers with advanced training. Many of the programs offered take between 10 and 18 weeks to complete, providing employers with a constant feeder system of job-ready candidates for the in-demand high-tech industry. Among the programs offered are advanced metals joining, the Advanced Technology Academy, alternative energy and sustainability, the Cisco Technical Training Institute, construction engineering and construction technology, information technology, mechatronics, CNC machine operator, bioscience, as well as robotics through the Youth Technology Academy.

I thank you for your support of the 2014 Evolution of Manufacturing event. In addition, I would like to congratulate our 2014 honorees for their contributions to the ever-changing field of manufacturing. You are the future of manufacturing within Northeast Ohio and your innovations will drive the evolution of manufacturing into the future. ●

Susan Muha is the executive vice president of the Workforce and Economic Development Division for Cuyahoga Community College.