Moraine Valley Offers New Automation Engineering Tech Certificate

PALOS HILLS, IL -- Students studying within the technology field can make themselves more marketable by earning a new automation in engineering technology certificate offered at Moraine Valley Community College. The certificate involves robotics, cybersecurity, automation/programmable logic controllers and 3D printing. Registration is now underway for Moraine Valley’s fall 2018 semester.

Formerly a mechanical design technology certificate, this new program offers five tracks to students to follow, including CAD automation, electrical automation, IT automation, mechanical automation and mechatronics. Some training will take place on the college’s new FANUC robot, the no. 1 kind used manufacturing, that has grippers and a 2D camera, which students will learn to program. This fall will be the first time robotics classes are being offered. Once students complete the courses, they will be certified-handling tool programmers.

“More robotics are being introduced to make processes more efficient, and students would benefit with this certificate by having the skills employers are looking for to succeed,” Dr. Kristine Christensen said in a news release, a Moraine Valley professor of information management systems who is endorsed by FANUC. “A lot of people wouldn’t be able to experiment on robots, and training is expensive. We train for over 17 weeks for less. It’s a no-brainer.”

>>> Register For Moraine Valley Fall 2018 Semester

As the program grows, more robotics classes will be offered. Students will earn not only a certificate but an endorsement from FANUC that should put them ahead in the working world.

“The Fourth Industrial Revolution is creating an enormous skills gap in manufacturing. Students need to be trained in technology that will come to the forefront in the next few years. This includes robotics automation and new forms of manufacturing. We provide that,” said Chuck Bales, Moraine Valley professor/coordinator of mechanical design drafting technology/CAD, who is endorsed by FANUC. “The growth of robotics is going to be explosive in the global industrial market.”

For more information, contact Bales by phone at 708-974-5402 or by email at bales@morainevalley.edu.