DSC adds AS in Database Technology and Additive Manufacturing specialization

Photo by Nicole Guthrie

Fall semester brought two new programs to Daytona State’s Advanced Technology College (ATC), sparked by an initiative to build a workforce pipeline that can adapt to the latest trends in business and industry.

A new Associate of Science in Database Technology and an Additive Manufacturing specialization tied to DSC’s Associate of Science in Engineering Technology are being driven by what the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects to be double-digit demand in all sectors of the economy for skilled workers in these disciplines over the next five years.

The Database Technology program takes traditional database management technology training to a higher level, according to Anindya Paul, chair of DSC’s School of Computer Science. “Many of the databases that we are used to cannot handle the sheer volume of data that drives much of industry today,” he said. “This new program prepares our graduates to better mine that data so it can be analyzed for insights that lead organizations to make more strategic and effective business decisions.”

For some years, DSC has offered introductory database management courses. The new initiative resulted in nine additional courses being developed to round out the associate degree that can be delivered in-class, online or a combination of both. Among them are SharePoint Development and Administration, Business

Intelligence, SQL Server Reporting Services, Querying Database and Database Administration. Credits earned in the AS degree can be applied toward a DSC’s Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. The program curricula was developed through a $20,000 American Association of Community Colleges grant, in collaboration with the National Science Foundation, called Mentorlinks.

“Daytona State has a strong reputation in advanced technology education, and strives to create and offer the highest quality programs to successfully prepare our students for the workforce,” said DSC President Tom LoBasso. “This database technology program addresses the skills and needs of a broad range of local and regional industries, and will help to meet the gap in qualified, professional employees.”

Additive Manufacturing marks three specializations (including Electronics, and Digital Design and Modeling) students can choose from within the AS in Engineering Technology program. It is being operated out of DSC’s new Advanced Manufacturing Center, located at the ATC.

Workers with skills in additive manufacturing are among the industry’s most pressing needs. The discipline involves a process for fabricating parts, layer-by-layer, directly from a 3-D digital model and assists in manufacturing high-value, complex and individually customized parts.

Like the Database Technology program, the Additive Manufacturing specialization was created in response to feedback from various college industry advisory boards, said Dante Leon, associate vice president of DSC’s College of Business, Engineering and Technology.

“The additive manufacturing process is complex and involves a new way of building things,” he said. “Most companies are currently using the technology as a prototyping tool. The advantage is it allows designers to create complex products in less time, so if you can shorten the design cycle, your company can gain an economic advantage.”

Volusia County ranks 10th among Florida’s 67 counties in total manufacturing jobs. As the industry expands, the demand for skilled workers, and the ability to train them quickly and effectively, also will increase.

The college has had long-established relationships with the area’s growing manufacturing sector, which comprises 7 percent of the Volusia and Flagler County economy, with over 470 manufacturers doing business here and generating a combined payroll of nearly $400 million a year.