Cape Fear Community College is tooling up for a new program that will prepare its students to keep sophisticated manufacturing operations humming.

The college announced in a news release Wednesday the creation of a two-year program in mechatronics. Coined to apply to a combination of mechanics and electronics, the term mechatronics is used to describe a specific set of skills for which demand is growing within a variety of industries, including health care, according to the release.

Mechatronics technicians design, develop, troubleshoot and repair computer numerical control machinery, which is seeing widespread use as manufacturing companies seek to operate in a leaner, more efficient way, said Randy Johnson, chairman of the college’s engineering technologies department.

“In order to compete [in a global economy], we’ve got to be automated,” Johnson said. “Manufacturers are having to invest in automation processes, and that’s driving demand for people to set up these systems, repair them and maintain them.

“I get calls on a regular basis from employers looking for qualified job applicants.  Cape Fear Community College actively listens to our area employers, and we’ve created this program to meet their needs and enable our graduates to find good jobs locally.”

The Acme Smoked Fish Corporation, which will open a high-tech facility in Pender County this fall, is one example of a potential employer of program graduates, Johnson said. Others include GE Aviation, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and Wilmington Machinery.

“I can also imagine someone with entrepreneurial spirit buying a van and the right tools and going into the mechatronics business independently,” he said.

Johnson also pointed out that the realm of robotics will need mechatronics technicians to design, build and maintain anything from robotic pets to sophisticated prosthetic limbs.

The program, which starts Aug. 15 at CFCC’s North Campus in Castle Hayne, will draw on existing college resources, including classes the college already offers in areas such as welding and electronics, Johnson said. The program’s inaugural class can accommodate up to 20 students, but Johnson thinks that initial enrollment will be eight to 10 students. No special background is required for program participation.

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