August 21, 2024  If only Henry Ford could see how technology has transformed manufacturing!  The founder of Ford Motor Company was known for his assembly line methods and likely would be intrigued by what manufacturing and production looks like now.  “So much of manufacturing and production are technology-driven today,” said Patrick Van Otteren, associate professor of electrical/controls technology at Grand Rapids Community College. “The field is growing exponentially and the technology is changing fast. Employers are eager to hire people who can keep everything running.”  That’s why GRCC offers two options for people seeking more education in industrial maintenance technology. Both programs are offered at the Main Campus in Grand Rapids, as well as at the Lakeshore Campus in Holland.  “Our certificate program teaches someone the skills they need to work as an industrial maintenance technician,” Van Otteren said. “We cover networking, robotics, programmable logic controllers, touchscreens, industrial electricity and much more.”  A student who is working while going to school can typically complete the  certificate in one year. GRCC also offers an  industrial maintenance technology associate degree . The degree incorporates general education courses along with technical skills courses. Students typically complete it in two or three years. Van Otteren stresses that students who complete their studies at GRCC graduate with the skills employers want.  “We stay in sync with manufacturers through our advisory committee, and I also visit local businesses to understand their needs,” Van Otteren said. “For example, networking between systems is the hot need right now, so we are getting deeper into that. Keeping our technology current requires a lot of time but the payoff for our students is huge. They will have hands-on experience with all the latest versions of manufacturing or production hardware and software. Once they learn the basic principles of one system, they can easily learn others.”  GRCC’s industrial maintenance technician programs give students plenty of hands-on experience.  “A large percentage of our students come to us because they are already in an  apprenticeship program ,” Van Otteren said. “We have a mechatronics line in the classroom. Students can learn how to support the mechanical side — hydraulics, pneumatics and motor replacement. They can also focus on the electrical side — replacing sensors, monitoring and maintaining touchscreens. All of this learning allows them to maintain uptime in a manufacturing or production environment, which is essential for business.”  Van Otteren says that the industrial maintenance technician field is red-hot. An industrial engineering technician with an associate degree can earn from $22.51 to $39.77 per hour according to the  West Michigan Works! 2024 Hot jobs list .  “I like to call this a ‘target rich’ environment,” Van Otteren said. “If you complete the program and have motivation, you will get a job.”  Learn more about industrial maintenance technician programs at GRCC . This story was reported by Julie Hordyk.

August 20, 2024 Grand Rapids Community College continues to be a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) education as a proud co-sponsor of  Friday@Confluence on September 20. The event runs from 7-10 p.m. at the  Grand Rapids Art Museum (GRAM).  This free event is open to people of all ages who want to get hands-on with AI. Jonnathan Resendiz, faculty director, plans to have attendees interact with AI through art as a way to demystify the technology (click on the image with this story to see an example of AI at work). “We will have iPads on hand so that people can play around with several AI applications,“ Resendiz said. “You will be able to provide text prompts and the system will produce a drawing. But you will also be able to feed a rough drawing into the system and have it enhanced with the help of AI tools. For example, a simple face might turn into an anime drawing with hair, eyes and more filled in.” Resendiz hopes to provide a bit of education while people have fun with the AI experience. “We’re showcasing how art and language can be combined with AI,” Resendiz said. “People are apprehensive about AI, but we want to demonstrate how AI helps speed up manual processes so that humans have more time for creative, thoughtful work. Hopefully this experience will demystify the process while allowing participants to see the cool part of how AI works." Kristi Haik, dean of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, notes that the Friday event and the inclusion of AI are both new to Confluence.  “We are thrilled to introduce a hands-on AI event to Confluence attendees,” Haik said. “We want to expose people of all ages to the transformational power of this technology. These might be current students, or they might be local business professionals who are charged with leveraging AI for their companies.” GRCC is also a program partner of the MakerExpo, which will be open to the public at Rosa Parks Circle on Saturday, September 21. The MakerExpo is a diverse showcase of tech enthusiasts, artists, crafters and engineers who create amazing things in the spirit of DIY. More than a dozen makers from across the Midwest will share their work and experimentation across the spectrum of art, science and engineering. Learn more about GRCC’s artificial intelligence certificate . You can also find more details about the Confluence Festival and Friday@Confluence  online . This story was reported by Julie Hordyk.