GSCC News
Technical Instructors Attend Training Event
The Consortium for Alabama Regional Center for Automotive Manufacturing (CARCAM) recently held a FANUC Robotics Handling Tool Software Package professional development opportunity for technical instructors throughout the state. Gary Udaka and Frank Miller, Gadsden State Community College welding technology instructors, completed the 32-hour course, as well as eight technical instructors from community colleges statewide, and employees of the Alabama Technology Network.
The week-long “train-the-trainer” event sponsored by CARCAM, and hosted by Wallace State Community College in Hanceville offered the course material currently being used at the training facilities of FANUC Robotics America, Inc. in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The course consisted of lectures, demonstrations, and a series of lab exercises. In addition, a pretest and posttest were used to measure mastery of objectives. Gadsden State Acting Center Director for CARCAM, Beverly Hilderbrand, stated, “This type training is a direct result of CARCAM’s mission to provide professional development opportunities to enhance faculty and student technical education within our region.”
The CARCAM Regional Center, which is funded through a National Science Foundation Grant, was established in 2006 and is aimed at helping to end the shortage of qualified personnel available to perform high-tech jobs in Alabama’s growing automobile industry. The Consortium works in collaboration with the Department of Postsecondary Education, the Governor’s Office of Workforce Development and the Alabama Automotive Manufacturing Association (AAMA) to promote and provide technical education. Educating Alabama’s instructors in the latest technology required for today’s automotive and related industries enables them to educate tomorrow’s high-tech multi-skilled technicians.
In addition to Gadsden State and Wallace State, other colleges who are partners in the CARCAM Consortium are Central Alabama Community College-Alexander City, Jefferson State Community College-Birmingham and Trenholm Technical College-Montgomery. For information contact Beverly Hilderbrand at (256) 439-6871, bhilderbrand@gadsdenstate.edu or log onto the CARCAM website at www.carcam.org.
