Story by Emily Neal // Contributing Writer | Photo by Rick Casebeer, courtesy of MTSU News and Media Relations
Middle Tennessee is seeing rapid growth in the demand for people trained in mechatronics, a field of engineering that combines mechanical, electrical, telecommunications, control and computer engineering systems.
MTSU has one of the fastest-growing programs in the state and is the only four-year university that is “Level 3” Siemens-certified in the world, according to a recent press release.
MTSU’s Walter Boles appeared on an episode of “Inside Workforce Development” last week with the Dean of Career and Technical Programs at Motlow College, Fred Rascoe, to discuss the recent growth in automation and robotics in recent years.
“Many existing engineers say that they obtained a traditional engineering degree and had to learn the basics of a different discipline on their own in order to do their job as it evolved to include more automation,” Boles said in the press release. He went on to explain that mechatronics graduates will already have the basic training for automation covered.
Companies like Bridgestone Americas, Nissan North America and General Motors as well as others are waiting to hire graduates with degrees in mechatronics.
“These companies employ the most advanced manufacturing technologies available and it is crucial to be able to supply the industries with a well-educated and trained workforce to meet the stringent demands today,” Rascoe said in the press release.
Rascoe believes that the MTSU and Motlow programs in mechatronics are “addressing the needs of today and tomorrow,” while Boles added that both schools are “fulfilling a critical need.”
Boles added, “Many companies make facility location and relocation decisions based on the availability of a technically educated workforce. (The) Middle Tennessee (region) can take advantage of the current lead we have and expand capacity further.”
At the seventh Tennessee Department of Education Technical Education Cluster Collaboration on Sept. 7, Boles and other experts addressed high school teachers in STEM fields as well as technical fields to introduce teachers to the mechatronics programs offered at MTSU and Motlow.
Motlow has been producing mechatronics students since 2010. MTSU’s first 13 mechatronics students graduated in December 2015.
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