Virginia Economic Development Features Mechatronics Program
Thanks to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership for this feature on the Roanoke Region:
Mechatronics Curriculum Likely to Give Mega Boost to Roanoke’s Workforce Pipeline
The Roanoke Valley Region has recently become a magnet for the automotive industry.
Italy-based ELDOR Corporation, a leading automotive supplier of ignition coils and systems, engine and electronic control units, and full systems for hybrids, is the latest company to establish an operation in Botetourt County. A major deciding factor for the company was the region’s skilled workforce.
Thanks to Virginia Western Community College’s (VWCC) advanced technology education programs, there is a strong pipeline of skilled workers to serve the area’s growing automotive industry. VWCC offers an Associate degree in Applied Science with a focus on Mechatronic Systems Engineering Technology—a cross-discipline that combines mechanical, electrical, and computer engineering to meet high-performance manufacturing industry standards. The community college also offers a Siemens Mechatronic Systems Certification Program to prepare students to work in the ever-growing complex technology industry.
Students have access to the Fab Lab at VWCC, giving them digital fabrication resources as a platform for their own innovation and inventions. Automated Manufacturing instructor Daniel Horine showcased VWCC’s impressive equipment and training capabilities following the Governor’s ELDOR announcement last month. Attendees, including ELDOR’s executive team, got a personal tour of the community college’s Fab Lab.
The Mechatronics program at VWCC is a great testament to how higher education works to provide students with industry-specific skills and create a steady workforce pipeline for area employers.