PROVIDENCE – The Community College of Rhode Island has linked up with a program launched by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology designed to boost U.S. manufacturing.
The Technologist Advanced Manufacturing Program, also known as TechAMP, was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Defense and incorporates in-person lab instruction alongside online lectures from MIT faculty and hands-on simulations.
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Structured as a 12-month certificate program, more than 70 students are part of the inaugural cohort.
“Through TechAMP and other initiatives, we are excited to extend our reach beyond MIT’s conventional manufacturing education and collaborate with companies of all sizes, including partnerships with community colleges like those in Rhode Island,” said John Hart, a professor of mechanical engineering at MIT and faculty co-director of the Initiative for New Manufacturing program. “Our hope is that this program empowers manufacturing technologists to become innovators and problem-solvers within their organizations and to effectively implement new technologies for enhanced productivity.”
The coursework employs a “hub-and-spoke” model, touching on manufacturing principles as the core “hub,” with segments addressing specific skills identified by companies as areas for further training.
The TechAMP certificate program integrates a capstone project in which students analyze challenges presented by sponsor/host companies.
The core topics include manufacturing process controls, system understanding, leadership abilities and operations management, mirroring those studied in MIT’s online micromaster’s program in manufacturing.
The six skill arenas include mechatronics, automation programming, robotics, machining, digital manufacturing, and design principles, with the possibility of further expansion in the future.
“It’s been a confidence booster,” said Nicole Swan, an employee at the manufacturing firm Proterial, who is taking the TechAMP class at the Community College of Rhode Island campus in Westerly. “This has really shown me so many different opportunities [for] what I could do in the future, and different avenues that are available.”
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
