Gateway Technical College and Rockwell Automation have partnered for an intense, 12-week Academy of Advanced Manufacturing program where students receive industry-leading training typically reserved for professionals already in the industry. This is a brilliant step in educating people about the manufacturing industry as there is a lot that goes into this sector, from learning how Plastic Manufacturers have a part to play in various businesses, to seeing what the main component of metal manufacturing is. Professionals and new starts alike, need this type of information to ensure they are conducting the correct protocols.
“More than half of the training uses existing Gateway classes, and the remaining instruction mirrors courses specific to Rockwell’s Advanced Manufacturing Academy,” said Steve McNaughton, Gateway dean of Business and Workforce Solutions. “The goal is to expand the academy nationally, where other colleges can use our curriculum to teach students in their regions. And, it will have started here at Gateway in partnership with local industry.”
The academy marks the first time this training will be offered at a college and not through the company itself. The 36-hour-a-week training will run at the college’s SC Johnson iMET Center in Sturtevant. The intense nature of the 12-week program allows students to earn 22 credits, which they could also apply toward a Gateway Advanced Manufacturing associate degree.
Students will gain skills in robotics, mechatronics, motor control, PLC and HMI programming, industrial controls and the industrial Internet of Things.
Graduates of this program earn certification as automation and control technicians with an estimated average annual salary of $49,000. Military veterans, in particular, are encouraged to apply.
The program begins Aug. 31. To enroll, go to gtc.edu/aam.
