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 PRESS
RELEASE
First 2-Year
Manufacturing Engineering Technology Program in the State
For Immediate Release - July, 2006
San Diego, CA ...San Diego City College opens the first two-year Manufacturing
Engineering Technology (MFET)
program in California this fall. In response to the increasing demand for highly
skilled technicians and engineers in the manufacturing sector, City College
developed this innovative educational program to provide the technical and soft
skills needed to compete in the job market today.
The MFET program will
provide students hands-on experience in all aspects of a manufacturing
enterprise, from materials and processes to safety, design, automation, quality
and lean manufacturing. Students can begin registering now for September classes
including Introduction to MFET, Print Reading, Properties of Materials, and
Manufacturing Processes. Graduates will be able to seek employment in diverse
industries such as plastics, automotive, biomedical, electronics, aerospace,
machining and other high-value manufacturing sectors. Depending on experience, a
MFET graduate can earn $30,000 - $50,000 a year.
City College graduates are in demand, explained Armando Abina, Dean of Math,
Engineering, & Technologies, "because we develop our educational programs
working directly with industry professionals to target the jobs in demand in
today's manufacturing technology market".
Dr. Truc Ngo leads this new program and expects the program to expand to other
specialized fields like nanotechnology, biotechnology and semiconductor in the
future. Dr. Ngo, a Ph.D. graduate in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech,
also worked as a senior process engineer at Intel Corporation before joining
City College September 2004. She plans to take the MFET program through the full
ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) process in 2008-09.
With a successful ABET accreditation, MFET graduates will receive wider national
recognition and enhance their career possibilities. Dr. Ngo has also been a
member of the Advisory Board for Women In Engineering Technology, hoping to
inspire and influence more women like herself entering engineering and
technology careers.
Career options for MFET graduates include manufacturing engineering or
engineering technician, product design and planning, manufacturing operation
management, equipment maintenance and troubleshooting, quality and production
control, production planning, and automation.
The success of the program depends also on an Advisory Board comprised of key
local manufacturing companies such as Goodrich Aerostructures, Delta Design,
Kyocera, Sony, Jabil Circuit, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Chem-Tronics, Remec,
Nokia, SMS Technologies, Solar Turbines, and NASSCO. Both the college and the
companies benefit from this close relationship. Some of these companies have
provided field trips for City College students and others offer internships to
expose students to real-world experience and on-the-job training. Some Goodrich,
Delta Design, and NASSCO employees are currently enrolled in the MFET program.
San Diego City College, home of Jazz 88.3, is a downtown urban college offering
1,500 day, evening, weekend and online classes to more than 14,000 students.
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To learn more
about our Manufacturing
Engineering Technology (MFET) program at City College please visit
http://www.sdcity.edu/voctech/mfet/
Dr. Truc Ngo, Assistant Professor 619.388.3394;
tngo@sdccd.edu
San
Diego Business Journal
City College Launches First-of-Its-Kind Engineering Program
By - 8/14/2006
San Diego Business Journal Staff
BY KATY
GRAHAM
This fall, San Diego City College will offer the first two-year
manufacturing engineering technology program in the state of California.
The program was created in response to an increasing demand for highly skilled
technicians and engineers in San Diego's manufacturing industry.
"We hope the program will target the jobs in demand at small and large
manufacturing companies," said Armando Abinia, the college's dean of math,
engineering and technologies.
An advisory board consisting of principals in the leading manufacturing
industries oversaw the curriculum development, ensuring that it would
sufficiently prepare students for job placement.
City College has already enrolled employees from Goodrich Corp., Delta Design
and General Dynamics Nassco to start the new program this fall.
According to Abinia, graduates will be able to seek employment in diverse
industries such as plastics, automotive, biomedical, electronics, aerospace,
machining and other high-value manufacturing sectors.
"Depending on experience, a graduate can earn $30,000-$50,000 a year," Abinia
explained.
Expects To
Expand
Dr. Truc Ngo, a City College professor, will lead the new two-year
manufacturing engineering technology program and expects it to expand into other
specialized fields such as nanotechnology, biotechnology and semiconductor.
"I plan to take this program through the full Accreditation Board for
Engineering and Technology process in 2008," explained Ngo.
Dr. Ngo, a Ph.D. graduate from Georgia Tech, worked at Intel Corp. before
joining City College in 2004. Ngo is a member of the college's advisory board
for women in engineering technology, where she hopes to inspire and influence
more women like herself to enter engineering and technology careers.
"Since I've been at City College, I have only had one female student in all
of my classes," Ngo said.
According to Terrance Burgess, president of San Diego City College, the
successful launching of the program came from the board of advisors, comprised
of key local manufacturing companies, such as Goodrich Aerostructures, Delta
Design, Kyocera, Sony, Jabil Circuit, Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon Co.,
Remec Defense & Space Inc., Nokia, Solar Turbines and General Dynamics Nassco.
Job placement for students is one benefit the college gains from its close
relationship with the advisory board, along with internship opportunities that
expose students to real-world experiences and on-the-job training.
Career options for graduates include manufacturing engineering technician,
product design and planning, manufacturing operation management, equipment
maintenance and troubleshooting, quality and production control, production
planning and automation.
A Model To
Follow
According to Abinia, the program is unique because it allows students to either
step out in the field after two years with an associate degree or continue on to
a four-year university. Other community colleges, such as Riverside Community
College, are creating model programs for their own institutions.
The maximum number of enrolled students for fall 2006 is 35 students. Both Ngo
and Abinia hope the program fills up and anticipates it will be successful.
"This is a new program that was designed for the evolved technician," said
Abinia.
San Diego City College's registration for the two-year manufacturing engineering
technology program is open until Sept. 1 and the fall semester begins Sept. 5.
Located downtown, City College offers classes to 14,000 students and is part of
the San Diego Community College District.
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