How the College of Charleston is working to close the manufacturing skills gap

It’s no secret that South Carolina is home to many automotive, manufacturing and technology industries. In such an environment, there is a need for qualified employees.

According to data from the South Carolina Institute, South Carolina has seen a 17% increase in production over the past 10 years, leading the nation in tire and passenger car exports. SC Department of Commerce.

When Andrew Hsu, president of the College of Charleston, took his position in 2019, he knew he had to produce qualified students who would be a good fit for the industry.

Hsu’s passion for increasing engineering courses and certifications at the College of Charleston stems from his personal engineering career path. Before becoming president, Hsu was dean of engineering at San Jose State University, according to the College of Charleston. website.

Since Hsu’s arrival, engineering, supply chain, manufacturing and other software degrees have become a greater priority.

Lu Reckmann, an assistant professor at the College of Charleston, was previously CEO and president of IFA, a German automotive supplier. He said he was really struggling to find qualified workers to work for the manufacturer, so when he retired a year ago, he took the opportunity to teach and prepare students for his field.

Hsu has an advisory board of CEOs and executives from large companies in the region, and they all say one thing: “We need engineers,” Reckmann said.

The College of Charleston offers majors in supply chain management and electrical, systems and software engineering, as well as minors such as digital manufacturing technology and global logistics and transportation.

Reckmann said that from his perspective working with IFA, he had “well-motivated” students and interns due to the opportunity to learn in small classes. Because engineering is new to the College of Charleston, the program is a small part of the business school.

“There are really close relationships between professors, students and industry connections,” Reckmann said. “Now I’m back as a professor… I can call my colleagues in the industry and ask, ‘How are my people doing?'”

Additionally, students can earn bachelor’s and master’s certificates in advanced manufacturing, software engineering, and operations research.

Hsu considers these certifications to be “micro-certifications.” The certificates are designed to add an extra element to College of Charleston graduates when applying for jobs, giving them an edge over other candidates.

“We believe this is a practical thing that can shine on a resume and that can give you better hands-on experience than a regular education,” said Chen-Huei Chou, director of the Certiport certification program and professor of information management.

In addition to providing professional qualifications, Hsu said he tries to ensure that the equipment students learn on at the College of Charleston will be the same equipment they will use when they start working at companies in Charleston.

“This industry is all about employees who can contribute immediately,” Hsu said.

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Reckmann said students have the opportunity to work at companies such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz Vans through projects in partnership with the College of Charleston.

“They are very well prepared from the theoretical side, from the university side, but also for all the projects that we have prepared for students,” said Reckmann. “They already know the company, and most of the time these students get the job without even applying.”

With today’s world interconnected by technology and accessible travel, Hsu has introduced more language requirements for many business-related majors.

“The College of Charleston is typically a liberal arts school with a lot of language and culture, which doesn’t conflict with engineering. It’s actually a very good compliment,” Reckmann said. “In my more than 30-year career in industry, I have found that a good engineer is only a good engineer if he knows the languages ​​and understands the culture of another country.”

Given that Germany is South Carolina’s largest export customer, Canada in second place, many German companies have manufacturing and engineering facilities in the country, such as KION, Bosch and, most famously, Mercedes-Benz Vans.

For these manufacturing, engineering and software jobs, AI plays a role and can play a role in all of them. Iris Junglas, a professor of management information systems, said learning artificial intelligence in professions such as manufacturing avoids students falling behind co-workers or missing signals that can be dangerous in facilities with a lot of equipment.

Given the importance of AI among many employees, Hsu also incorporated AI education into curricula throughout the university.

For Junglas, she said she hopes to help students understand that artificial intelligence “is not magic, but there are some real algorithms behind it.”

“We want our students to know artificial intelligence, not the other side that is taking their jobs,” Hsu said.

Since Hsu became president of the university, the acceptance rate has dropped from about 80 percent to a low of 60, with an increase in the student population of about 20,000 students.

Hsu said the College of Charleston has also been accepted as one of approximately 290 colleges and universities affiliated with the Phi Beta Kappa honor society.