Manufacturing jobs Chicago expand
Posted on January 30, 2019
A new center will bolster the amount of manufacturing jobs in Chicago.
The Manufacturing Technology and Engineering Center (MTEC) at Richard J. Daley College is a 57,000-square foot facility equipped to prepare students for careers in engineering and advanced manufacturing, industries that are expected to bring more than 50,000 jobs to the region over the next ten years.
“The Manufacturing Technology and Engineering Center will be the paradigm for students working towards a relevant education that opens doors to not just get a job, but find a career,” said Mayor Emanuel. “From investing in modern facilities across our campuses, to aligning our curriculums with the skills students need, together we have transformed City Colleges into an education that will pay dividends for our students and our City for generations to come.”
The new equipment and capabilities at MTEC will enable students to participate in a hands-on curriculum that prepares them for the technological advancements in the engineering and manufacturing industries. The facility includes: a manufacturing high bay space, CNC machining equipment and a maker space, classrooms, engineering and manufacturing labs, computer labs and administrative space. There is a new pedestrian bridge that connects MTEC to the existing Daley College building.
“Engineering and advanced manufacturing employers are more inclined to locate and grow here in Chicago if we can guarantee them a strong talent pipeline,” said Chancellor Juan Salgado. “Daley College’s MTEC will help ensure that people from across Chicago’s communities are ready to compete for and land increasingly skilled positions in these lucrative fields and help us create a more inclusive Chicago economy.”
Daley College, City Colleges’ center of excellence for engineering and advanced manufacturing, will continue offering programs in Welding, CNC Machining, Quality Assurance and Factory Automation. MTEC enables Daley to launch pathways to careers in Mechatronics, Sheet Metal Fabrication, Operations Management and Industrial Maintenance. With support from the Dart Foundation, PepsiCo, the Haas Foundation, the Association for Manufacturing Technology, Zeiss and FANUC, Daley College will also further expand the college’s Engineering and Manufacturing program.
The engineering and advanced manufacturing programs offered at Daley College are stackable, and provide students with the opportunity to begin a career or transfer into a bachelor’s degree program. Transfer partners include Southern Illinois University (SIU) and Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT).