8 October 2023
The University of St. Thomas will be partnering with a U.S. Department of Defense initiative to offer introductory courses in machinery.
The courses specifically focus on computer numerical control machining and 3D modeling, two skills that are in high demand, said John Wentz, associate professor and chair of the university’s Mechanical Engineering Department.
Wentz said the program offers St. Thomas students hands-on experience with machines.
“It’s the difference between reading a manual on how to fix your brakes and fixing your brakes yourself,” Wentz said.
Wentz said that jobs requiring computer numerical control skills can start at $30 per hour, and are needed in “medical device industries as well as broadly across Twin Cities industry.”
Wentz also said summer “boot camps” would be offered to high school students as well as week-long courses aimed at older people, specifically military veterans and anyone else looking to “reskill.”
The week-long summer courses would be more like “tasters,” according to Wentz. They would not grant any specific certification.
The courses are supported by America’s Cutting Edge, a national program of the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, which is funded by the Department of Defense’s Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program. The program aims to “restore the prominence of the U.S. machine tools sector,” according to ACE’s website.
The internal program for St. Thomas students starts this fall, while the first boot camps for nonstudents start in summer 2024.
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