The Online Degree Dorm Room

engineering degree online : A growing trend towards Technical Training - a case study

Posted by bposton on October 22nd, 2006 — Posted in engineering degree online

One reason why technical training is seeing a comeback is the increase in partnerships among community/technical colleges, high schools, and employers.

Here’s a great example of that in my home state of North Carolina:

There’s a company in Greensboro, NC called RF MicroDevices. They’ve hooked up with Guilford Technical Community College. Together they’ve developed several programs to help train student operators in “wafer fab”, which turn out integrated computer circuits.

“There’s no place else around here where someone can learn the skills necessary to perform efficiently in our facility,” says Ralph Knupp of RFMD. “Someone who graduates with a bachelor of arts would not arrive bringing the specific experience we need. So vocational training is critical for us to maintain our manufacturing strength in Greensboro.”

North Carolina is probably best know for our textile and furniture industries (High Point Furniture Market, for example). But we’ve seen those industries shrink dramatically in the face of foreign competition. So the state has relied alot on the community college system, which was started in 1958, to retrain displaced workers.

“We did a major study with industry and found that for two-thirds of all bio-tech jobs in this state, no four-year degree was necessary,” says Martin Lancaster, president of the North Carolina Community College system.

So I think there’s a hugh trend here:

First of all, families are struggling to afford the traditional college education. So they’re looking a technical training to learn a hi-tech skill or trade.

Second, employers are struggling to find qualified hi-tech labor. So that has increased the demand for skilled US workers in fields such as aviation mechanics, computer technology, electronics, global positioning, and trades ranging from culinary arts to construction.

It’s a combination that will only grow over time.

Ben