Special to the Herald
SAVANNAH, Ga. – Savannah Technical College is offering a new Automation and Robotics Technology degree to prepare graduates for a career as an advanced manufacturing maintenance repair technician and engineering technologist starting in Fall 2024.
“Savannah Technical College programs evolve with the demands of industry, and we are proud to offer this new advanced manufacturing training program,” said STC President Dr. Ryan Foley. “This degree will empower graduates to excel in advanced manufacturing and maintenance roles, meeting the needs of area employers.”
Students may now enroll in the associate of applied science degree. The degree includes 15 general education credit hours (English, sociology, mathematics, humanities, communication) plus occupational courses (49 credit hours) including: DC Circuit analysis, AC Circuit Analysis, Industrial Motor Controls I/II, Basic Industrial PLCs, Introduction to Mechatronics, Introduction to Robotics, Fluid Power Systems, Intermediate Industrial PLCs, Industrial Mechanics, Instrumentation, Flexible Manufacturing Systems I plus an occupational elective. The College plans to offer short-term training for Automation and Robotics Technology starting in Summer 2025.
Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians typically need either an associate’s degree or a postsecondary certificate. Skills needed for these jobs include maintaining safety systems; installing machinery and equipment; performing equipment preventative maintenance; repairing machine fluid power systems, machine transmission power systems, and air/gas power systems; performing record keeping, and developing equipment design improvements,
About 1,300 openings for electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or retire.
This new degree will be an option with STC’s Industrial Systems training, which equips students with problem-solving skills they need to diagnose complicated production-line problems. Students master predictive maintenance by identifying problems before they happen to eliminate downtime. They learn Industry 4.0/Smart Factory, fluid power, programmable logic controls (PLCs), electricity, and mechatronics. Industrial Systems is one of Georgia’s high demand jobs that qualify for the HOPE Career Grant. For more information visit: www.savannahtech.edu/IndustrialSystems.
