University College held two consultation sessions with teachers, industry, parents, students and the business community to have their say on the development of a new course to be delivered in Burnie from 2020.
Chief Executive Lee Whiteley said the Associate Degree in Equipment Design and Technology would be designed to meet the emerging skills development and training demands of the region.
“The Associate Degree of Equipment Design and Technology will focus on what the North-West Coast does best and look to fill the gaps between a trade and an engineering degree,” Mr Whiteley said.
“The manufacturing industry is transforming itself from a manual labour focused environment to one that is leveraging the benefits of robotics and automation. This increased use of technology and advanced manufacturing processes means we need to train our workforce with the knowledge and skills required to fulfil the jobs of the future.”
The program is aimed at both Year 12 school leavers and mature age students keen to make their mark in the advanced manufacturing and processing industries. Graduates will be employed across a range of positions, including design and fabrication, quality control, logistics and project management.
University College is collaborating with the Tasmanian Minerals, Manufacturing and Energy Council (TMEC) to leverage existing infrastructure at the Manufacturing Centre of Excellence in Burnie.
“Students will be immersed in a hands-on training environment which stimulates design thinking and produces job-ready graduates with the right mix of technical and practical skills to have real impact,” Mr Whiteley said.
The new associate degree is being developed as a result of extensive consultation with industry and peak representative bodies which highlighted a gap in the current educational offering in Tasmania.
University College’s associate degrees are two-year educational programs with a strong emphasis on vocational preparation through work integrated learning in partnership with industry.
