EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine August 2019 | Page 18

DAYTONA STATE COLLEGE
Preparing Students for A Career in
Manufacturing Since 1956
A
by Brigitte Hoarau
s the manufacturing industry expands in the southeast
region, so does the demand for manufacturing
professionals, a field that has recently seen a significant
shortage in skilled labor. And while some companies rely on on-
the-job training and skills improvements for entry-level employees
to grow with the companies’ needs, many workers seek specific
knowledge or skills before they enter the job market. Daytona
State College has offered manufacturing-related programs to
such students since 1956, and has expanded its offerings to fill the
changing needs of Volusia and Flagler county industries over
the decades.
With five campus locations, Daytona State served 27,000
students last academic year, with over 100 degrees and programs,
some of which fuel the local manufacturing industry. The selection
of programs reflects both the variety of students’ needs and
interests and the array of local opportunities. Those who seek
four-year or two-year degrees might opt for one of the Bachelors of
Science degrees in Engineering Technology or Associate of Science
degrees in Engineering Technology or Information Technology.
These programs provide students with a broader knowledge of
translating theoretical concepts into functional technologies as they
apply to fields such as manufacturing.
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Many students are looking for more
focus than full degree programs entail,
and instead choose the skilled trades and
technology programs at the college. In
addition to their full degree programs,
Daytona State offers certificate programs
that require anywhere from one week
to one year to complete and, according
to the college’s Associate Vice President
for the College of Workforce, Continuing
Dr. Sherryl Weems
and Adult Education, Dr. Sherryl Weems,
culminating into “immediate access to a ready and welcoming
workforce.” Such programs include the one-week Fiberglass
Fabrication Bootcamp offered through the college’s Center for
Business and Industry, as well as other certificate programs in
fabrication and machining and welding technologies.
The shorter paths these programs entail are still “filled with
rigor and high expectations” for performance, Weems says, adding
that the “credentialing, which many students seek is based on
mastery.” Salaries and job placement rates for those programs are
evidence that the college’s approach works. In 2016-17, 100% of
Machining and 93% of Applied Welding students who completed