New ABB Robotics Education Affiliate

Motlow State Community College (MSCC; McMinnville, TN) is a new member of the ABB Robotics Affiliate Education Program. In May 2019, ABB instructors began teaching certificate training classes at the recently built Automation & Robotic Training Center (ARTC) adjacent to the campus. This 12,500 sq ft training center has a dedicated robotics lab equipped with six 6-axis robots and robot controllers, and all the necessary software and peripheral equipment to teach their customers how to program and operate their industrial robots. Students who successfully complete the training, earn comprehensive qualification as an ABB customer-certified robot professional in the specific curriculum area of focus.

Motlow is the sixth US affiliate training facility and continues their strategic plan to establish certified training campuses throughout North America where customers have more access to comprehensive training and certification. It is expected that approximately 125 students will receive training at Motlow in 2019. “Adding this to our affiliate education program is an important step in ensuring that we prepare the workforce with the skills needed to transform productivity and keep pace with technology,” said Joe Chudy, the U.S. general manager of ABB Robotics. “The answer in creating the manufacturing jobs of the future lies in education. We must train the workforce of today and adapt education for the workforce of tomorrow.”

As the relationship progresses, ABB will train and certify Motlow instructors to teach the robotics classes, providing all the required professor certification, curriculum materials and ongoing support. Beginning in August 2019 they will offer their enrolled students robotics classes at the ARTC for college credit and robotics degrees. Instructors will also begin teaching the customer certification courses later this year. Funding for the ARTC came from a $5.5 million grant awarded to the college as part of the “Drive to 55 Capacity Fund.” The primary purpose of the ARTC is to train skilled workers to support existing and new industries throughout the area as they utilize more industrial robots. Construction of the facility began in June 2018, and the official opening and dedication ceremony took place in April 2019. The initial ABB customer certified classes being taught at Motlow are:

• US420 IRC5 Programming I for Material Handling
• US425 IRC5 Programming II for Material Handling
• US399 RobotStudio I

In addition to their own North American training facilities in Auburn Hills, MI and San Jose, CA, ABB Robotics now has affiliate training facilities at Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham, AL; Vincennes University in Vincennes, IN; Robotics Technology Park in Tanner, AL; Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, WI; Piedmont Technical College in Laurens, SC; and now Motlow. For more information on the training program, please visit: new.abb.com/service/training/abb-university/united-states/robotics

www.new.abb.com