Lorain County Community College on path to offering Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Smart Industrial Automated Systems Engineering Technology

ELYRIA, Ohio, Oct. 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lorain County Community College is kicking off national Manufacturing Month with the announcement of its second bachelor of applied science degree, this one in Smart Industrial Automated Systems Engineering Technology. Chancellor Randy Gardner of the Ohio Department of Higher Education approved LCCC to move forward with development of the program, which focuses on integrating, operating, modifying, and troubleshooting smart manufacturing systems based on "off-the-shelf" industrial equipment directly related to smart manufacturing.

The Chancellor's go-ahead marks the first phase of the approval process as the college prepares to next seek approval from the Ohio Department of Higher Education and then the Higher Learning Commission. LCCC is well-versed in the process, having launched its first Bachelor of Applied Science in Microelectronic Manufacturing (MEMS) in 2018. Much like the MEMS program, LCCC developed the Smart Industrial Automated Systems Engineering Technology degree program in response to the rapid development of disruptive technologies that are shaping advanced manufacturing in Northeast Ohio.

"LCCC is proud to have once again worked directly with local employers to ensure we meet their evolving talent needs and we are thankful to the Lorain County Chamber, the Lorain County Manufacturing Sector Partnership and other regional partners like Team NEO for working closely with us to make this degree possible," said LCCC President Marcia J. Ballinger, Ph.D. "This bachelor of applied science in smart manufacturing will provide students with the knowledge and skills for current in-demand local jobs, as well as those of the future."

Smart Industrial Automated Systems Engineering Technology represents a multidisciplinary engineering field concerned with the design, modeling, analysis and control of predominantly computer-based automated systems or processes, often referred to as smart manufacturing. Automated systems typically contain a mixture of sensors, equipment, devices, software, hardware and humans and requires knowledge of elements of electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, software programming, networking, security, and human factors engineering. The program will be designed to meet the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology requirements and train students for job roles such as automation engineer, controls engineer, systems engineer and more.

Those positions, which cut across multiple industry sectors, are in high demand now with anticipated growth in the coming years. In 2020, over 21,000 individuals were employed in Northeast Ohio within similar positions and 72% of occupations in Northeast Ohio related to Smart Manufacturing and Automation require a bachelor's degree as typical entry level education. Today, labor market data company Emsi forecasts 8,750 regional openings in these occupations in the next five years.

As industrial automation continues to play a key role in regional companies' abilities to remain productive and competitive in an increasingly global economy, many local businesses are anticipating hiring both students and graduates of LCCC's Smart Industrial Automated Systems Engineering Technology program.

"As we strive to maintain our competitiveness, we understand that robotics technicians, specialists, and integrators can help AgriNomix LLC accomplish its goals," said Joseph Smith, VP of manufacturing for the Oberlin, OH company that supplies equipment to the North American horticulture industry. "With quality training courses focused on equipment operation, engineering and design issues associated with a dynamic manufacturing environment, LCCC can help address an unmet need in the advanced manufacturing workforce pipeline."

The new program will embed work-based learning at local companies, like AgriNomix, making the already low tuition of the new program – $15,000 – even more affordable. And the experience will help students quickly transition into the workforce after earning their bachelor's degree.

LCCC has a unique understanding around developing and offering bachelor's programs, having launched its University Partnership in 1996. The program partners LCCC with 14 local four-year colleges and universities to offer more than 100 bachelor's and master's degrees from LCCC's campus.

"LCCC has a solid history of 'firsts' in Ohio. We were the first community college to have a permanent campus in the state and we were the first to offer bachelor's and master's degree programs from four-year universities on our campus through the University Partnership," Ballinger said. "That history and experience paved the way for us to become the first community college to offer our own applied bachelor's degree programs in these niche in-demand, high-paying fields like MEMS and now smart manufacturing."

About Lorain County Community College in Elyria, Ohio

Established in 1963, Lorain County Community College is the first community college in Ohio with a permanent campus.  For more than five decades, LCCC has served the diverse needs of the greater Lorain County region by providing affordable access to higher education and now serves approximately 13,000 students each year in certificate, associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs. LCCC was recently ranked as the most affordable college in Ohio for associate and bachelor's degrees and is in the top 10% of most affordable colleges in the nation. Since 1963, one in four Lorain County residents have taken classes at LCCC and more than 42,000 have earned a degree. More than 90% of LCCC graduates live and work in Northeast Ohio.  LCCC partners with more than 700 employers and offers 170 industry-recognized credentials to better prepare the workforce of the future.
www.lorainccc.edu

SOURCE Lorain County Community College

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