Manufacturing Lab, Tech Program Launches At MCCC

WEST WINDSOR, NJ — Mercer County Community College recently cut the ribbon on its new $1.2 million, 3,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory on the West Windsor Campus, county officials announced. It was part of the college’s roll out of its high-tech workforce development program, which includes an Advanced Manufacturing Technology Program. That program launched this fall.

The Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory is the first of its kind in the region, according to college officials. The closest facility is located in Camden. The laboratory features vertical and horizontal mills, Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) mills, lathes, CNC lathes, drill presses, vertical and horizontal band saws, surface grinder and power press.

“As technology changes the way we live and work, Mercer County Community College is committed to leading the way we educate our future workforce,” College President Dr. Jianping Wang said. “We want our students to learn what their future employers expect them to know while they are with us, not after they leave.”

The groundbreaking for the laboratory was in August of last year. It is the first major construction project on the West Windsor Campus since the Welcome Center was built in 2009. Funding for the project comes from the Building Our Future Bond Act, approved by New Jersey voters in 2012.

During the event, the college also unveiled its new high-definition digital production and broadcast studio, made possible by a four-year, $100,000 grant from Dow Jones.

Mercer County Community College’s Television and Digital Film students now have the opportunity to gain real-world experience in live, mobile production, and will be using the unit to broadcast and live stream local sporting events this fall. They will make their broadcast debut with the football game between Lawrence High School and Robbinsville on Oct. 27, but the unit was used to live stream the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which can be seen below.

The college also showcased two brand new programs designed to give students real-world experience and skills: The new Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or drone pilot certification program, and the Domain Tech Academy@Mercer. Both programs give students the ability to immediately transfer their learning experience to employment opportunities, and in some cases, qualify for paid internships.

The Domain Tech Academy, a partnership with Domain Computer Services, is a full-service operation located on the West Windsor Campus providing computer technical support for home, small business, and commercial customers. Paid student interns, under the supervision of Domain engineers, provide diagnostic and repair services for personal computers, hourly and contract technical support for businesses, and Smart Home services.

“Our partnership with MCCC is an innovative, collaborative effort between a local community college looking to ensure their students’ success and a local business providing quality, affordable services within the community,” Domain Computer Services President and CEO Rashaad Bajwa said.

The UAS program, which begins Oct. 24 with MCCC’s seven-week session, is a cooperative partnership with ABJ Drones. ABJ will provide instructors and the latest in hands-on drone technology for the program, and will include MCCC students in the company’s network of commercial drone pilots, with opportunities for employment upon completion of the UAS curriculum.

“Drones are a technological game changer in the way we solve problems, conduct business, innovate and view our world,” said ABJ Drones CEO Vip Jain, CEO, who noted that Mercer County has the infrastructure to become a major drone hub. “We are on the cusp of a paradigm shift driven by the use of drones.”

More than 100 people, including state, county, and local elected officials from throughout the region, New Jersey Labor and Workforce Development Commissioner Aaron Fichtner, Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes, and Mercer County Freeholder Chair Pat Colavita, as well as dozens of representatives from Mercer County business and industry, were in attendance.

“Employers need to be able to find qualified candidates, and that’s especially true in manufacturing, which has become a highly technical field,” Hughes said. “This new facility will enable our students to develop the skills they need to succeed, benefitting our business community and making county even stronger.”

The attached image was provided by Mercer County officials: Business partners and county officials lend a hand at the ribbon cutting for the new Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory on the Mercer County Community College West Windsor Campus. From left: Rashaad Bajwa, president of Domain Computer Services; New Jersey Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development Aaron Fichtner; Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes; ABJ Drones CEO Vip Jain; MCCC President Dr. Jianping Wang; MCCC Board of Trustees Chair Carol Golden; and Pat Colavita, chair of the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders.