Alabama students who attend two-year colleges to eventually transfer to a four-year school will now be able to “reverse transfer” their four-year college credits toward an associate’s degree from the two year school.
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A Forbes article outlining the top-20 college majors with the highest average starting salaries was published recently. To save you a minute, here they are!
Major 1. Chemical Engineering - $63,309 2. Computer Engineering - $63,303 3. Electrical Engineering - $61,173 4. Software Design - $60,104 5. Mechanical Engineering - $59,681 6. Computer Programming - $58,995 7. Computer Science - $56,974 8. Civil Engineering - $55,879 9. Management Information Systems - $51,690 10. Construction - $49,672 11. Finance - $48,785 12. Accounting - $47,834 13. Supply Chain - $47,147 14. Economics - $46,270 15. Human Resources - $45,737 16. Chemistry - $45,209 17. Mathematics (includes Applied) - $44,609 18. Marketing - $43,401 19. Biology - $43,404 20. Agriculture Business - $43,214 [Forbes based their findings on a recently released study by Michigan State University's Collegiate Employment Research Institute] Find the full Forbes article here. Check out this Bloomberg article on where the jobs of the future will be located... the Huntsville/Madison County area is one of these locations!!!!!
http://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2015-stem-jobs/ On May 26, I gathered with Career Coaches, Career Tech Directors, College and Career Counselors, as well as Business and Industry partners from across the state of Alabama to gain insight into careers in Advanced Manufacturing. The event was hosted by United Launch Alliance in Decatur.
After introductions and welcome, we were split up into groups to tour the ULA facility. According to their website, ULA brings together two of the launch industry’s most experienced and successful teams – Atlas and Delta – to provide reliable, cost-efficient space launch services for the U.S. government. U.S. government launch customers include the Department of Defense, NASA, the National Reconnaissance Office and other organizations. Manufacturing, assembly and integration operations are located at Decatur, Alabama, and Harlingen, Texas. It took us upwards of two hours to complete the tour of the 1.6-million-square-foot factory. Due to the nature and sensitivity of the missions, there were parts of the facility that we did not even see. We were also not allowed to take pictures inside the factory. The most interesting thing I learned during the tour was that it takes approximately 18 months to complete a mission. ULA's perfect product delivery promise ensures a 100% success rate and that the client is getting what they ask for each time, which is so important given who they exist to serve. The key piece of information that I gathered is that ULA employees range all the way from welders to machinists to chemists and engineers. It takes all kinds of specialties to build these rockets from the ground up! I would LOVE for some Madison County students to experience this tour! If you are interested, contact me so that I can set up a tour for your class! Upon completion of the tour, we were given the opportunity to hear from a panel of representatives from the Advanced Manufacturing Industry. Representatives from ULA, Brown Precision, and Dynetics were present. Through the panel discussion, I learned about opportunities for job shadowing, internships, and apprenticeships available in advanced manufacturing. Though many of those opportunities are only available for college-aged students, it opened the door for a discussion about how we can get our secondary students plugged in to this career field. If you are interested in a Career in Advanced Manufacturing, contact me! Another interesting piece of information that I gathered from the panel discussion, which is included in almost every single discussion with business/industry leaders, no matter the field, are the types of skills for which employers are looking in potential employees. Basic employability skills are so important and can be a key factor in whether or not you get the job and stay employed long term. The panelists said they are look for fast learners who are independent, self-motivated, have effective communication skills and a good attitude. They are looking for individuals who are team players and are willing to step outside of what is "their job" to accomplish goals. They want to hire individuals who are adaptable and follow instructions. Advanced Manufacturing careers require adequate math skills. They want someone who can be analytical and is detail-oriented. These are the things that will set you apart in a competitive career field such as this one. The last piece of the puzzle was to hear from some of our post-secondary education partners. Representatives from Wallace State Community College and Calhoun Community College were available to present some education opportunities in advanced manufacturing. Wallace State offers degrees and short certificates in areas such as welding, mechatronics, and machining. Calhoun Community College offers a phenomenal F.A.M.E program for students interested in the fields of advanced manufacturing or industrial maintenance. One of my favorite parts of the whole day was hearing from a current student in Calhoun's F.A.M.E program. He is currently completing his internship through Brown's Precision. Please click on this link to find out more information. This is a very competitive program to get into, but is very rewarding. Most students who graduate from this program are offered a job at the end of their internship by the participating company. If you are an upcoming senior, be looking for information from me on how to apply for the 2017 cohort. For more information on Advanced Manufacturing Careers, use the links below provided by Lindsay Ferguson, Workforce Director for the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce: Facts About Manufacturing - Workforce & Compensation Top 20 Facts About Manufacturing / Cool Sites Alabama Manufacturing Facts Public Perception of Manufacturing On April 6, I had the opportunity to gather with Education partners from across the state of Alabama, along with key industry leaders in the growing ENERGY Career Field. The event was hosted by Avion Energy Solutions in Huntsville, AL.
Immediately following an introduction by Lindsay Ferguson, Workforce Director for the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce, we heard from Daniel Tait, CEO of the Alabama Center for Sustainable Energy. Daniel shared with us some very enlightening information about Energy Careers. We received a handout, which we discussed in detail, outlining different types of industries within the broader energy category, as well as specific careers in the industry paired alongside average salaries, typical education required, and alternative job titles. What was fascinating to me, was that energy career exist in almost any career field you can imagine, from engineers to installation/repair to production and construction. Following Daniel's presentation, we heard from Randy Buckner, Director for Research and Development for Avion Energy Solutions. Avion exists to promote reasonable measures for energy efficiency to lower operating costs for businesses. In order to help other businesses in this same way, Avion followed their own five-pronged approach to cut their utility costs by 54%. The Avion building is now considered an ENERGY STAR building with a score of 77. We were given the opportunity to tour the building and learn about some of these energy-saving measures from an optimized HVAC system, to an installed 50kW photovotaic solar system panel, and exterior lighting fixtures. To find out more about the strides this company is making in energy conservation, you can find Randy's presentation here. After lunch, we heard from Chris Shearburn, Systems Engineer with Southern Solar Systems, and Cedrick Davis, Energy Manager with NASA. As a Systems Engineer, Chris's company installs solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, and geothermal heat pump systems to private and business sectors. As an Energy Manager, Cedrick's job is to run their energy conservation program. He makes sure that they are meeting goals set by the United States government, and makes strides to exceed those goals for the sake of conserving energy long-term. Take a moment to view his presentation to see his impressive results and what he has accomplished during his tenure with NASA. To close out the day, Jerry Adams from Calhoun Community College was there to discuss an educational opportunity for students who want to pursue a career in energy through their Industrial Energy Specialist Degree Program. While the various presentations above provide nuggets of insight into what types of education is needed to enter into this career field, this presentation was very enlightening because this program is very accessible to students in our geographical region and is specific to meet the needs of this growing industry. Click here to read more about this program. If you are intrigued about a career in Energy after reading this blog post, please reach out! I would love to connect you with some job shadowing or internship opportunities. Click on the Contact link in the menu at the top of the page. The Northeast Alabama Workforce Development Council exists to bridge the gap between Business/Industry and the various Education Systems (K12 - post secondary). The goal is to develop a well-educated, trained workforce to meet the current and future needs of business and industry in our geographical region. Starting in the month of April, the Council has begun sponsoring Industry Insight days as a medium to make these connections and initiate conversations between key stakeholders. The mission of these Industry Insight Days is to coordinate with Business and Industry to advise the State of Alabama and key stakeholders (including legislators, K-12, Superintendents, college and state school boards) on developing and providing the education and training needed to meet the workforce and economic development needs of our region. As I gain insight into these growing Career Opportunities, I would like to invite you to join me. Allow me to share what I have learned.
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AuthorAs a Career Coach I have the opportunity to gain exposure to various careers and industries in order to inform Madison County students what options and opportunities may be available to them. I also have conversations with post-secondary institutions to gain insight into educational opportunities from which our students can benefit greatly. I look forward to sharing my what I learn throughout this journey with each of you. If you have questions or want more information about a specific post, please reach out using the Contact page in the menu above. Let me help you write YOUR story...one page at a time! Archives
November 2016
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