Advanced Manufacturing Technology Thriving in Charlotte, NC!

Earn a Degree at ECPI University and Join this Growing Profession

In the Charlotte region, manufacturing has come full circle. For many years, the area was known as a major hub for textile, tobacco, and furniture production. Like other cities, Charlotte saw those jobs evaporate as foreign companies and cheap offshore labor offered a decided advantage. But that exodus from manufacturing was short lived. That’s because advanced automation is now allowing American companies to compete once again…and Charlotte is leading the pack in this resurgence.

According to the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, manufacturing firms in the Charlotte region employ nearly 144,000 people directly. Spending by these companies and their employees supports an additional 220,459 jobs in the region. All told, the manufacturing sector has an estimated $40.8 billion impact on the 16-county Charlotte region. In fact, nearly 31 percent of the regional economy is supported in some way by manufacturing.

Included among the leading categories within the manufacturing sector are makers of primary and fabricated metals, machinery, chemicals, plastics, electronics, transportation equipment, and food and beverages. Top employers include:

• Carrier
• Siemens Energy
• Schaeffler Group USA Inc.(Fort Mill, SC)
• Daimler Trucks North America
• Celgard
• Duracell (Lancaster, SC)
• Marbach
• Keer America
• Sealed Air Corp.
• Electrolux
• Areva Inc.
• Curtis-Wright Corp.
• Husqvarna
• Rubbermaid
• Irwin Tools
• Coca-Cola
• Okuma America
• Hitachi Metals
• Bosch Rexroth Corporation

Yes, manufacturing is coming back in a big way, but the jobs have changed dramatically. Replacing those old low- and no-skill jobs are ones that require a tremendous level of expertise. Gone are the old dirty factories, replaced by technology-based, clean production facilities. Here, automated systems and robots do most of the work. Of course, all of this modern equipment does not run itself. It requires skilled professionals who can program and maintain it, and, of course, make repairs when needed.

While these companies are growing, they’re not growing as fast as they’d like. That’s because there is a serious skills gap in this country. According to a study produced by Deloitte, it’s projected that nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs in the United States must be filled over the next decade, but only about 1.5 million people will possess the necessary skills to do the work. This may be a problem for employers, but it could be an opportunity for you!

At ECPI University and its Charlotte campus, you can earn the skills you need to work in the advanced manufacturing profession. Best of all, you don’t have to spend four years in college to do so. Through our accelerated, year-round program you can earn an Associate’s degree in just 1.5 years or stay around for an additional 12 months and earn a Bachelor’s degree. We offer two programs that are designed to prepare you to work in the field of advanced manufacturing.

ECPI University’s Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) program is for those who want to specialize in such areas as circuits, semiconductors, and microcontrollers. People who are employed in this field work with:

• Data Acquisition and Control Systems
• Digital and Analog Electronics
• Telecommunications
• Power Systems
• Instrumentation
• Embedded Systems

Our Mechatronics program incorporates parts of the EET program. However, it also includes coursework in mechanical engineering technology and computer and information systems. Specific areas of concentration involve:

• Hydraulics and Pneumatics
• Materials Science
• Applied Mechanics
• Computer Hardware and Software

So, are you the kind of person who like to work with their mind and their hands, but do not want to work in a hot, dirty factory? The manufacturing environment may be just what you’re looking for.

“We have been very successful helping students acquire the skills they need to succeed in advanced manufacturing,” says ECPI University Campus President Victor Riley. “It’s been especially rewarding helping people who never considered attending college, those who live in the more rural areas of our region where technology-based jobs are not all that common. Places like Gastonia and Concord, North Carolina or Rock Hill and Fort Mill, South Carolina. Students from communities like those drive a short distance to our campus and within a minimal period of time, they’ve completed their studies, acquired the skills they need, and begin working in the field.”

What about you? Are you ready to learn more about this opportunity? Take a moment and connect with ECPI University and our Charlotte campus today. A helpful admission advisor will be happy to answer all of your questions.

It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!

DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty, or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.

Gainful Employment Information – Electronics Engineering Technology - Bachelor’s
Gainful Employment Information – Mechatronics - Bachelor’s

For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.