Tech Valley’s Colleges, Universities Mean Business
Published Apr 15, 2008
Hudson Valley Community College is evolving to meet changing needs.
Being home to businesses on the leading edge of technology means that Tech Valley educational institutions must evolve to meet the increasing demand for highly skilled employees in emerging fields.
To meet this need, SUNY Orange has changed its associate in applied science degree to include an emphasis in telecommunications and has added a new state-of-the-art laboratory.
“Technology doesn’t remain static, so our programs can’t either,” says Fern Steane, chair of the applied technology department. “Telecommunications is a hot and current field, so we upgraded our program to offer our students added employability.”
The college collaborated with Citizens Communications Company/Frontier to create the new degree. Frontier and its vendors donated the equipment for the 1,400-square-foot laboratory.
Steane says that students will be required to complete an internship as part of the program.
“It is very important to get some real-world experience,” Steane says. “It is one thing to get theory and hands-on training in the lab, but in the business world students will face other issues.
It is an advantage to graduate with experience in the field.”
Linking Educational Partners
SUNY Plattsburgh is offering a new baccalaureate degree in Global Supply Chain Management (SCM.)
“Most of the price of goods and services today come from moving them around rather than from manufacturing,” explains Colin Read, Dean of the School of Business and Economics. “Global supply chain management is making sure all the various links in the chain work together to get inventories to market just in time.
“For example, UPS in Champlain may work on behalf of a buyer to buy wedding veils from China for $30. They will get the veils in a container, ship them to Montreal, clear them through customs in Champlain, split them into boxes, add UPC codes, and truck them to Macy’s in New York City, where they will now cost $300. UPS and FedEx are the General Motors of 50 years ago.”
Read says the SCM degree prepares students to meet these challenges and gives them international experience through partnerships with similar programs at Concordia University in Montreal and universities in Monterrey, Mexico and Ningbo, China. An additional partner is being sought in India.
Exploring Emerging Fields
Hudson Valley Community College recently added a new associate in applied science degree, Electrical Technology: Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology. This program trains students to work in the fields of semiconductors and nanotechnology. The first three students to graduate from this program all accepted jobs at local companies, two with GE Global Research and one with Albany NanoTech.
“Our college’s history is rooted in technology education, so it was only natural for us to seize upon this new opportunity to provide cutting-edge instruction in this emerging field,” says Phillip White, dean of the School of Engineering and Industrial Technologies.
Story by Denise Mitchell
Photo by Michael W. Bunch
Current Weather Conditions In Albany, NY (12205)
Partly Cloudy, and 11 ° F. For more details?
Click here...
