The Lead.
As Marion Technical College is among the first colleges in the state to roll out its new Intel micro-certificates, the campus was proud to welcome two executives from Intel to tour the labs and discuss how to align student training with Intel’s workforce needs.
“We’re excited to deepen our partnership and prepare our students for these in-demand jobs,” said Dr. Bob Haas, Provost and Chief Strategy Officer.
Melinda Murdock and Sowmya Venkataramani toured the electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, robotics and automation, and smart manufacturing labs. They discussed additional equipment to add, including vacuum system equipment, which is key for semiconductor manufacturing. In addition, the college is incorporating virtual reality into the Engineering curriculum to train students for the workforce of tomorrow.
“We were excited to hear about Intel's commitment to support community colleges with technical training opportunities for instructors,” said Dr. Elizabeth Azhikannickal, director of engineering technologies and assistant professor at Marion Tech. “This will enable them to upskill and teach classes in the new semiconductor programs which will also, hopefully, lead to the development of new pathways."
Dr. Feng Hua has experience working in the semiconductor industry. Dr. Azhikannickal has experience with fluid power technology.
“We’re ahead of the curve!” Dr. Azhikannickal said.
The new virtual reality equipment will help students train for some of the 3,000 jobs Intel is creating in central Ohio, as well as for Intel’s suppliers.
"We were pleased to hear about the augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) modules being developed/piloted by Intel to simulate semiconductor manufacturing processes. We are hoping to leverage these modules in the courses in our new Intel semiconductor short-term certificate,” Dr. Azhikannickal said.
In addition, Marion Tech recently received its second grant from the National Science Foundation focused on virtual reality and advanced manufacturing technician education for $648,370.
The college also has applied for an additional cybersecurity grant to help students stay at the forefront of manufacturing trends. The first grant funded Marion Tech’s smart manufacturing associate degree program in which students receive on-the-job paid training at a manufacturing or engineering facility.
Intel’s representatives and college leaders also discussed recruitment goals and possibilities to expand if additional funding is available. Find more about the new micro-certificate here and the program specifics here.
