Jack, H., “Education, A Supplier for Every Company”, Westec Manufacturing Summit, Los Angeles, CA, March 2007.

Education, A Supplier for Every Company

by Hugh Jack, Ph.D., P.Eng., Professor and Chair, Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering

Presentation

The Question: What are you doing as an education institution to partner with industry and solve their workforce, education and training problems?

The Answer: For my institution the relationship is cooperative.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Successes:

- Our graduates are easily employed.

- Grand Valley State University was named Supplier of the Year 2007 by Mill Steel.

- We have been able to reverse manufacturing enrollment trends with the Product Design and Manufacturing Engineering program.

Challenges:

- The image of manufacturing is reducing student demand for manufacturing programs

- In our area there are a number of problems commonly identified by employers

communication
problem solving
project management
knowledge of applicable technologies
knowledge of current topics