Integrating Industry into Engineering Technology Education to Produce Exceptional Graduates

Manufacturing companies need employees that possess both highly technical skills and fundamental knowledge allowing them to continually update skills.Across the country, companies are experiencing labor shortages in skilled areas like robotics, automation, CNC, and welding, for example.As technology progresses, the number of technical graduates cannot keep pace with industrial demand.Educators struggle with three main issues; increasing the pipeline of students into our programs, providing the curriculum needed for tomorrows technical workforce, and the affordability of technical education with shrinking funding budgets.At Northern Illinois University (NIU), the solution to these and other associated issues is through work with industry as a partner and stakeholder.The NIU Department of Technology works with industry partners to develop and deliver programs meeting the needs of our stakeholders.Through direct contact, we work with regional companies to attract students and develop laboratories, curriculum, and internships, thus, providing cutting edge technical and problem solving skills needed in today's industry.We work with industry to fund scholarships, and host recruitment fairs for full-time job placement.With industry assistance and funding, students work on faculty/student industry projects and faculty/company directed capstone senior design projects, as a bridge between education and the work environment.Through our Engineer-In-Residence program, Technology graduate students are placed at companies and supported for a semester long "in-house" project.There are many other avenues used to provide pathways between industry and academics.We have developed a strong triangle which links student, industry, and university.The industry/academic partnership must be present in all phases of