Henry Ford Community College Consolidates Manufacturing Program

Henry Ford Community College has announced a new program aimed at streamlining curriculum for manufacturing students beginning in the 2013-2014 academic year.

The Center for Innovation in Manufacturing Education (CIMed) consolidates the college's manufacturing classes and programs under one umbrella department.

"The center encompasses manufacturing-related academic programs, customized training and economic development services of the Corporate Training Division, and the corporate relations services requested by manufacturers as they strive to address workforce needs," said Tracy Pierner, HFCC vice president of Academic Affairs for Career and Technical Programs.

At a recent meeting of the HFCC Board of Trustees, Pierner said the goal of the program is to provide more options for students seeking career training at the college through sharing of courses and credits between manufacturing programs.

"We want to be flexible to meet the needs of the individual student," he said.

In order to do that, CIMed instructors plan to offer classes year-round. Programs will be developed to the point that an employee who was laid off any day of the week could register for a class the next day and be in the classroom by the end of the week, Pierner explained.

In addition, the flexibility of the program would allow for students to work at their own pace, and students will receive credit for the work they complete whether they finish the course or not.

"Working students can find a pace that is suitable for them," he said.

The program is being funded by a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor. As part of the program, HFCC will work with a consortium of 12 other community colleges in 10 states.

The grant will fund five new CIMed faculty positions. Seven HFCC faculty from manufacturing-related programs will be rolled in as well, including electronics, robotics, automation, fluid power, mechanical and electrical systems, computer-aided design, computerized numerical control and welding.

"The grant is focused on the transformation of manufacturing education through program improvements in competency-based curricula and hands-on experience, skills assessment ... and the expansion of learning pathways, including apprenticeship and internship models," Pierner said.

"CIMed will work with manufacturers to identify innovative solutions to their workforce needs," he said.

For more information, visit http://www.hfcc.edu/.