A new state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing lab is coming to the Shelbyville campus of Ivy Tech Community College.
The lab will focus on preparing students for manufacturing careers, including advanced automation and robotics, according to a press release.
Over 4,000 square feet of unused space on the campus will be transformed into an immersive education and training space where students can learn through hands-on experience with advanced manufacturing equipment.
The lab will be open to tour as part of an upcoming ribbon-cutting ceremony the school plans to host on April 18.
“The Advanced Manufacturing Lab is designed to give students the preparation and skills they need in the growing and in-demand manufacturing industry,” said Stephanie Amos, Vice Chancellor of Strategic Partnerships for the Ivy Tech Columbus Service Area, which includes Shelby County. “We collaborated with industry employers, our communities, and our educational partners to ensure we have the equipment and academic programming in place so that students are well trained and ready when entering the workforce.”
Equipment for the new lab is being provided by Blue River Career Programs, including FANUC robotic arms found in manufacturing plants in Shelby County and throughout the world. FANUC is the world’s leading supplier of automation for manufacturing.
Ivy Tech students with Advantage Shelby County scholarships who are studying advanced manufacturing will have the opportunity to learn in the Advanced Manufacturing Lab through apprenticeship cooperatives. The equipment will also be used to introduce advanced manufacturing careers to students from Shelby County high schools in early college programs through Ivy Tech.
Manufacturing is the largest employer by industry in Shelby County. More than 4,600 Shelby County residents worked in manufacturing as of 2022, which accounted for more than 19 percent of Shelby County’s workforce, according to STATS Indiana, the statistical data utility for the State of Indiana.
Additionally, more than 7,000 annual total production job openings are anticipated through 2031 in Indiana’s Economic Growth Region 5, which includes Shelby County, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.