Southwest Tennessee Community College is preparing its students for the rewarding jobs that are soon to abound at Ford Motor Co.’s Blue Oval City when the plant opens in 2025.
Long before Ford announced it would build a $6 billion plant just 53 miles north of Memphis in Stanton, Tennessee, Southwest reimagined its automotive and mechatronics programs, investing more than $3 million to upgrade equipment, classrooms and laboratories at its Macon Cove Campus.
“Our goal was to provide affordable access to state-of-the-art training that leads to high-paying jobs,” Southwest President Tracy D. Hall said. “We invested in a fleet of brand-new vehicles and outfitted our labs with the same equipment that area automotive maintenance and mechatronics professionals use every day to give students the real-world experience they need to be ready to work day one. We also were getting ready for what’s next, giving us an edge on preparing students for Blue Oval.”
Investing in these programs and adapting the curriculum to evolving workforce needs are examples of how Southwest is reimagining career and technical education through its Southwest Workforce Solutions Center set to launch with an Open House and Career Fair on April 20, 2023, at the Macon Cove Campus. The new center will provide affordable, streamlined access to career and technical education by aligning credit and non-credit courses and credentials across the college’s seven locations in West Tennessee.
The automotive technologies program is rolling out a plan for students to earn embedded credentials through an electric vehicle non-credit training program that will present a unique opportunity for students to get ready quickly for the high-demand, high-paying jobs that are on the horizon. Southwest’s Technologies Department Chair Aaron Jagers says the need for electric vehicle (EV) technicians is exploding.
“Once program participants complete the four electrical maintenance courses, they will be placed in boot camp-style training that will drill them on preparing for the necessary certification exams,” Jagers said. Participants who complete the program also will earn industry certification and six credit hours of prior learning credit at Southwest toward earning an associate of applied science in automotive maintenance technology.
Jagers says EV technicians can earn up to $90,000 a year. “An apprentice starts out around $28,000, but with more experience comes much more pay. Main line EV techs earn up to $70,000 and master techs up to $84,000 and the compensation goes up from there with more experience. So, it’s a great time to get started in this career.”
The college’s mechatronics program is likewise preparing students for the world of work. “Our program prepares students to install, maintain, operate and repair industrial robots,” Jagers said. “This is exactly what maintenance technicians at the Blue Oval Plant will likely do.” According to Jagers, students can earn certificates in just a few months and an associate of applied science degree in less than two years, thanks to the college’s Prior Learning Assessment program that recognizes students’ knowledge and skills gained in prior work and military experience.
“We have numerous students who served in the military or worked in manufacturing and other fields receive course credit that allowed them to save time and money and get that important credential that serves as their passport to higher paying jobs in careers where there is significant demand,” he said.
According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a manufacturing maintenance technician is $52,000 a year. Jagers says some may earn even more. “Manufacturing maintenance technicians working in high-tech industries or for large corporations, like those we have in Memphis, may earn even higher salaries.”
Jagers says SWSC will benefit employers as well as students. “Employers especially will appreciate how Southwest can provide a fast track for their employees to upskill and excel in jobs that may be difficult to fill. It’s a win-win for our students and the business community.”
For more information about Southwest’s automotive and mechatronics programs, contact Aaron Jagers at ajagers@southwest.tn.edu. For more information about the Southwest Workforce Solutions Center Open House and Career Fair, contact Associate Vice President of Workforce and Career & Technical Education, Amy Shead at ashead@southwest.tn.edu.
Southwest Tennessee Community College is a comprehensive, multicultural, public, open-access college serving West Tennessee. Southwest awards associate degrees and certificates in more than 110 programs and is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution, accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Visit www.southwest.tn.edu.
