GSU to offer new program in manufacturing management for 2015

The U.S. Manufacturing Institute’s 2010 report revealed that U.S. companies can’t fill an estimated 600,000 positions in the advanced manufacturing sector, and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers predicted the number of unfilled manufacturing jobs will reach 3 million by 2015. In response to this identified need, the College of Business and Public Administration at Governors State University partnered with Harper College to develop a Bachelor of Arts in Manufacturing Management (B.A.M.M.) degree. Students will be able to enter the B.A.M.M. program in fall 2015. There are no similar programs offered by public institutions in Illinois at this time.

Nearly all community colleges in the Chicago area offer A.A.S. degree programs in manufacturing and graduate thousands of students each year. These graduates are hired by manufacturing companies in the region as technicians or machine operators. The manufacturing sector today is a cutting edge, technology-driven industry that is in need of a new generation of workers who are not only capable of operating complex machines, but also able to think critically and solve problems creatively, as well as lead others effectively. The unique design of the B.A.M.M. program provides associate degree graduates with a transfer-friendly, critical advanced education pathway in manufacturing that will help them to earn a four-year baccalaureate degree and obtain managerial positions within the manufacturing environment.