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with Bobby Hitt, BMW and
Dave Just, SCC Corporate & Community Education
May 21, 2008 - The TechReadySC™,
a collaboration of five Upstate South Carolina technical and
community colleges and the South Carolina Technical College
System office, announced the launch of a new mechatronics
curriculum for the fall 2008 semester. The announcement was
made at a press conference on May 21, 2008, at the BMW
Zentrum in Greer.
Spartanburg Community College, Greenville Technical College,
Piedmont Technical College, Tri-County Technical College and
York Technical College will offer this new technical degree
program developed with a grant from AdvanceSC.
"AdvanceSC is proud to serve the needs of our community and
recognizes this collaboration as a necessary approach for
our state to produce a skilled and proficient work force,"
said Carol Burdette, AdvanceSC president. "Our board agrees
that this grant will make an impact on local communities and
better serve employers throughout the region."
AdvanceSC is funded with profits from Duke Energy's Bulk
Power Marketing program and since November 2006 has awarded
$2.5 million in grant monies to the colleges and the South
Carolina Technical College System office to encourage a
regional approach to workforce development training for the
Upstate. From that grant, the Upstate Alliance for Technical
Education was formed and was later re-named TechReadySC™.
“This project represents the critical phase of the
TechReadySC™ initiative to create a ready pool of
technicians with mechatronics and maintenance skills needed
to work in advanced manufacturing,” said Cynthia Eason, vice
president of corporate and economic development for
Greenville Technical College and chair of the TechReadySC™
board of directors.
A widely accepted career in Europe since the nineties,
mechatronics has only recently been recognized as a new
training opportunity in Upstate South Carolina. The term
mechatronics refers to an interdisciplinary field involving
control systems, electronic systems, computers and
mechanical systems that integrates product design and
automated manufacturing processes. Because industrial
applications are becoming more and more complex, industries
need technicians with skills that cross a variety of
disciplines. Many existing job categories currently or will
soon require mechatronics skills and problem solving
abilities for professionals who design, implement,
manufacture, service and repair a wide array of equipment.
“TechReadySC™ is an exciting initiative for Upstate South
Carolina,” said Dr. Barry Russell, president of the South
Carolina Technical College System. “The need for employees
skilled in mechatronics is great and continues to grow. The
collaboration of the five colleges and the System office
will be instrumental in meeting this workforce need while
also providing a blueprint for cooperation that can be
utilized throughout the state.”
The mechatronics program will provide training for
certificates and an associate degree. Mechatronics students
will train on state-of-the art equipment from suppliers
including Kuka, Festo and Siemens. The collaboration among
the five colleges ensures students are trained on the same
standardized curriculum and tested to meet industry
standards. Professional development for individuals already
working in related fields will also be available through
continuing education courses at each of the five colleges.
Beginning this fall, Spartanburg Community College will
offer a Mechatronics Technology I certificate program with
day and evening class options. Full-time students attending
during the day will be able to complete the certificate in
two semesters. Evening and part-time students may require
additional semesters. Students successfully completing the
certificate program will be eligible to continue the program
in fall 2009 with certificate credits applied towards an
Associate Degree in Occupational Technology with a Major in
General Technology - Mechatronics.
SCC's Corporate and Community Education Division will offer
mechatronics training designed to improve skills for
industry-specific needs through a registered apprenticeship
program with six area companies - Renfrow Brothers, BMW
Corporation, Lear Corporation, SEW Euro drive, INA Bearing
and Duer Coil.
For additional information on TechReadySC™ and the new
mechatronics curriculum, visit
www.techreadysc.com.