NCTC partners with local companies to develop new manufacturing program

By Lisa Gibson

EAST GRAND FORKS, Minn. — Starting this fall, Northland Community & Technical College will offer a two-year Manufacturing Process Technology Associate of Applied Science degree. The program was developed in close consultation with several large manufacturing companies that have locations in the Grand Forks area, including American Crystal Sugar Co., headquartered in Moorhead, Minn.; Philadelphia Macaroni Co., headquartered in Philadelphia; Cirrus Aircraft, headquartered in Duluth; and Marvin Windows, based in Warroad, Minn.

“We were approached by industries in Grand Forks, who identified the need for us,” says Andrew Dahlen, Manufacturing Process Technology program director, in a statement. “Crystal Sugar, Simplot, Philadelphia Macaroni, etc. … everybody is using the same technologies, just different applications. They all need technicians — people that can either troubleshoot and maintain automated equipment, or people that can develop and operate new automated equipment. From a maintenance perspective, this program is also a great fit because grads will be able to troubleshoot robots, motors, manufacturing equipment and the software, too.”

Manufacturing operations are evolving through increasingly complex automated and robotic equipment, increasing the need for skilled technicians capable of operating, maintaining and troubleshooting such equipment, according to NCTC.

“We haven’t been able to find enough maintenance candidates to fill the positions we have open,” says Tony Pierce, Grand Forks plant manager for Philadelphia Macaroni Co., in a statement. “It took a couple years to work with the other companies in town and Northland to develop this program, but the new curriculum is outstanding. The new classes have some electrical training, but it’s much more focused on the mechanical aspects of the job … being able to rebuild a gearbox, understand manufacturing technology, some basic fabrication ability, etc. It’s much more in line with what they’re going to be doing on the job.”

The new program will be part electronic and part mechanical, preparing graduates for manufacturing careers in industries ranging from agriculture and food production, to wind power and aviation, according to NCTC.

The program’s capacity is 24 students, Brian Huschle, NCTC East Grand Forks campus dean, tells Prairie Business. “In this first year, we would of course love to see 24 enrolled. But we will consider the first year cohort size successful if it is in the 15-to-18-student range.

“Through our partnering with employers, we know that several students will participate in the program through employer sponsorship,” he says. “One employer, for example, is already committed to sending incumbent workers through the program as well as offering a scholarship option for new employees that meet their qualifications. Several other regional manufacturing partners are working on developing similar types of models to meet their training needs.”

The program will utilize both new and existing faculty, Huschle says. “As a two-year program, we will eventually need to hire a new fulltime faculty within the college to cover all of our instructional needs within manufacturing. Next year, as we bridge into this with only a firstyear cohort in this new program, we are working with just some new faculty in part-time roles spread across our manufacturing and related programs as a whole.” PB