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M. Richard Shaink, Ph.D., who has served as MCC’s president longer than any of his predecessors, has announced his retirement. Dr. Shaink began his tenure as president in 2000. Often described as an outstanding, highlyrespected and compassionate leader in the academic arena as well as in the community, he was recognized as the best community college president/
CEO in North America by the Association of Community College Trustees at the Annual Community College Leadership Congress held in Toronto,
Ontario. During his tenure, MCC built the award-winning Regional
Technology Center, opened new sites in Clio and Howell, reached record levels of enrollment and was named one of the ten best community colleges in America.
MCC Accounting Instructor Alana Ferguson was recently honored with a Community Service-Learning Award from Michigan Campus
Compact, a coalition of college and university presidents committed to fulfilling the public purpose of higher education. This prestigious biennial award is the highest Michigan Campus Compact bestows on faculty and staff in the state of Michigan. This award recognizes her for helping MCC students to be involved in learning through community service. Ferguson provides her Accounting students with real life experiences through the unique service learning project with the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. This program offers free tax preparation to low- and moderate-income residents who are unable to prepare their own tax returns. MCC Accounting students apply their growing knowledge of tax theory through direct service to residents. Over the past four years, MCC students have assisted hundreds of local residents and brought back thousands of dollars to the community.
Mott College’s Hall of Fame basketball coach Steve Schmidt was one of three court coaches picked for the 2014 USA Basketball Men’s U18
National Team training camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. “It was an honor to be selected to assist with the USA Basketball Men’s
U18 National Team training camp,” Schmidt said. “I was excited about the opportunity to work with the top players in the country as well as with some outstanding coaches.” He worked alongside former NBA All-
Star and new Wake Forest University coach Danny Manning plus John
Moore of Westmont College as a trio to assist the USA U18 coaching staff during the first three days of training camp. Schmidt has coached at Mott for 23 seasons. His career coaching record is 629-134 (.825 winning percentage) and he has led the Bears to four NJCAA national championships (2003, 2007, 2008 and 2012).
Mott College Media Arts and Entertainment Technology students Cindy
May and Deshawntray Coleman were named winners of the Jon Cockerill
Rising Filmmaker Award. Both were awarded GoPro cameras for their essay submissions at a ceremony held June 6 in front of the Capitol Theater. The award is named after the late Jon Cockerill, a promising Flint film maker and MCC film program graduate who recently passed away.
Mott College sophomore Malik Albert has been selected among the nation’s top junior college basketball players to participate in the 2014 NJCAA
National Men’s Basketball All-Star game. Albert became MCC Coach Steve
Schmidt’s 18th All-American for the Mott Bears’ program. He scored 1,256 career points over his two-year Mott career and averaged 24.4 points per game, eighth best in the country, with 4.5 assists this season to lead MCC to a 25-6 overall record. According to Coach Schmidt, “I’ve enjoyed coaching him and he truly deserves to be a First-Team All-American.”
Student composers from Mott Community College had their work performed at a recital of new works St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in downtown Flint. The original student works included pieces for piano, voice, saxophone, percussion ensemble, and an instrumental chamber ensemble. The pieces were performed by music students from Mott
College. “I’m very excited about this opportunity for our composers to reach out and engage directly with the community,” said Dr. Bill
Withem, music professor and composer at MCC. “The students have a chance to work with their peers to organize, rehearse, and present a concert off campus. This is a unique opportunity for a two-year community college, let alone any four-year college. Musical composition is part of the new Associate of Fine Arts in Music at MCC. Any music student in the community interested in taking applied composition as part of the AFA Music Program at MCC is encouraged to contact
Dr. Withem at bill.withem@mcc.edu or 810-232-3505.
Mott Community College is among a select group of Michigan community colleges in a pilot program to allow students in automotive technology programs to transfer among the schools with no loss of credits or repetition of course work as they pursue their certifications and degrees. The Automotive
Technology Articulation Agreement allows students in automotive technology programs to transfer among Mott Community College, Delta College,
Grand Rapids Community College, Lansing Community College and Montcalm Community College. These programs were chosen for the pilot because they already adhere to nationally recognized automotive technician training standards. “Michigan’s auto industry is roaring back, and now more than ever our state’s future and economic vitality depend on a workforce with the necessary talents and training for the jobs of today and tomorrow,” stated
Nigel Francis, senior vice president of the Automotive Office at the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. “This agreement is both a great start in providing Michigan’s automotive tech students with the best possible path for success, and a stellar example of the public, private and academic collaborations that are vital to having the workforce we need to drive Michigan’s auto industry forward.”

Questions about the Mott Community College programs described in this magazine can be directed to the MCC
Admissions Office at (810) 762-0200. Visit the college website at www.mcc.edu for more details about MCC and its more than 100 career programs. Comments or questions about this publication can be directed to the
MCC Office of Public Information at (810) 762-0455.
To advertise in CareerFocus, please call
(810) 762-0456.
Publisher ........................................Dr. M. Richard Shaink,
President, Mott Community College
Editor ............................................................Michael Kelly
Photography ................................................ Michael Tews
Mott Community College Board of Trustees
Lenore Croudy, Chair
Dr. John Snell, Vice Chair
Albert Koegel, Treasurer
Sally Shaheen Joseph, Secretary
Michael Freeman, Trustee
Mathew Norwood, Trustee
Rafael Turner, Trustee
Mott Community College Executive Cabinet
Dr. M. Richard Shaink, President
Dr. Amy Fugate, Vice President,
Office of Academic Affairs
Larry Gawthrop, Chief Financial Officer
Scott Jenkins, Vice President, Office of Administration and Student Services
Mark Kennedy, Chief Human Resources Officer,
Human Resources Department
CareerFocus is published twice a year by Mott Community
College, 1401 East Court Street, Flint, MI 48503 in partnership with Academic Marketing Services.
All rights reserved. No part of the material printed may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage retrieval system without the permission of the publisher.
© 2014 Mott Community College
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CareerFocus I Summer 2014 I 1

Have you ever sat in a mathematics or science class wondering why you would need this information and what the course had to do with a future career? If so, you’re not alone. There is a decline in graduates with degrees in the sciences, math and technology, but many occupations are growing more dependent upon skills taught in these degree areas. Some studies predict students will not have the appropriate skills for several types of jobs when they seek employment, and the lack of interest in these subjects will cause a shortage of workers in critical areas. Currently, there is a nationwide initiative to get more students involved in these subjects by re-emphasizing how math and science skills are useful in everyday life and discussing exciting career paths in science, math, engineering and technology.
Science touches our lives in many ways -- in medicine, computers, military defense, and textiles, to name a few. As new fields of science and technology emerge, so do new career opportunities. The physical, life, earth, applied, and engineering sciences provide stimulating and enriching opportunities for those with training in Science.
A solid foundation in mathematics and the sciences teaches you valuable problem solving and analytical skills necessary for success in any career.
These skills are critical to you as an adult, whether you are reviewing the terms of a home loan, creating a yearly budget, saving for retirement or negotiating the terms of a car loan.
Skills learned in such classes as geometry, calculus and physics are now necessary for an increasing number of in-demand professions that are integral to sustaining our health care, renewable energy and information technology industries, among others.
The world is changing. Today, we rely on math and science in ways we could not imagine 30 years ago.
Innovations in technology help us communicate across the globe with ease through satellites, the Internet and cell phones. These and many other devices help us work more efficiently and give us the capability to work with individuals in all corners of the globe. We are able to pay bills online, submit our taxes online and order everything from medication, groceries and gifts from our computer. Advances in medicine and engineering allow us to detect diseases earlier, find cures and perform new procedures.
To keep up with the growing demand for a workforce with specialized technical skills and knowledge, students need a solid foundation in math and science to prepare them
Dr. Richard A. MacKenzie for college and the workplace. An increasing number of well-paying jobs require a minimum of an associate’s degree, and companies are seeking employees who possess unique skill sets.
MCC alumnus Dr. Richard A.
MacKenzie, an Operations Geologist with the ExxonMobil Exploration
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“One of the things that I really strongly believe in is that we need to have more girls and women interested in math, science, and engineering. We’ve got half the population that is way underrepresented in those fields and that means that we’ve got a whole bunch of talent that is not being encouraged.”
President Barack Obama
Company, described how his time at
Mott Community College laid the foundation for an exciting career in Science. “MCC was the perfect transition from the military to college,” Dr. MacKenzie related, “It gave me the opportunity to discover exactly what type of career I wanted to pursue, and then gave me the opportunity to find the branch of science that was most interesting to me.”
According to MacKenzie, “Going to
MCC was integral to preparation for a professional science career
The development of world-class talent in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) is critical to America’s future. According to a White House report, “Supporting women STEM students and researchers is not only an essential part of America’s strategy to out-innovate, outeducate, and out-build the rest of the world; it is also important to women themselves. Women in STEM jobs earn 33% more than those in non-
STEM occupations and experience a smaller wage gap relative to men.
And STEM careers offer women the opportunity to engage in some of the most exciting realms of discovery and technological innovation.
Increasing opportunities for women in these fields is an important step towards realizing greater economic success and equality for women across the board.”
Mott Community College’s science programs under the direction of
Johanna Brown, Dean of the MCC
Science and Mathematics Division, and Dr. Amy Fugate, Vice President of Academic Affairs, has taken a supportive and nurturing attitude to encouraging success for all students.
Kim Rogers, who transferred to
Kettering University after studying at MCC and is currently working at General Motors Flint Assembly, had some concerns when she began her education. “As a nontraditional student returning to the academic world, I was very nervous and anxious about how
I would be received by my peers,” she recalled. “My classmates were very receptive. We all had similar interests and it was pretty much the same group of students together throughout my academic career at MCC. We all still remain close friends.”
“I was very apprehensive about my age and being foolish in thinking I could attend Kettering University and become an engineer,” Rogers said. “Through the relationships developed with my instructors at
Mott College, I received constructive too much and try not to get behind.
Stay focused and determined. Utilize your resources: your classmates are in it with you and your professors are there for you.”
MCC graduate Samantha Mason is working as a designer at the GM
Tech Center in Warren. She found that MCC had properly prepared her for her career. “It’s still a male dominated field. There are five women out of 50 people in the group
I work in, but I don’t have any problems. Being a woman is not a handicap.”
According to Mason, “I definitely don’t have a problem being a woman in the industry.” feedback and, most importantly, the encouragement that helped me to stay focused and to pursue my childhood dream.”
Her advice for others considering a career in science? “Try not to take on
Continued on page 4
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Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, is an initiative focused on strengthening the educational pipeline that leads to STEM careers in order to fill workforce needs. The growth of many industries in the United States, as well as the development of new ones, is dependent upon engineers, mathematicians and scientists. Decreased numbers of graduates pursuing these fields could threaten our competitiveness in the global market and slow our economy.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in science and engineering occupations will grow 70% faster than the overall growth for all occupations and average earnings for STEM workers was
70% more than the national average.
Explore programs and certificates that lead to great careers at Mott Community
College. We have several degrees that will lead you to a
STEM career:
• Applied Science and
Engineering Technology
• Certificates available that lead directly to employment
• Computer Information
Systems
• Engineering Science
• Mathematics
4 I Summer 2014 I CareerFocus
Continued from page 3 in two very important ways. First, as a scientist I was mentored and encouraged by Professor Frederick
DeGroot throughout my Mott
College career. He was the most influential person in my decisions to follow through on my education to my PhD. The second way MCC was significant in my science career was the opportunities for leadership and excellence. I was mentored in a professional setting and was able to learn how a large organization behaves. This is especially important at a large company such as
ExxonMobil. I took advantage of every possibility at MCC to learn leadership.” mentoring, leadership, professional experiences, and above all learn.”
MacKenzie recalled when he was a young job applicant and about the man who hired him “He was impressed with all of the leadership roles I had through my college education starting with Mott College.
Later it helped to have my Master’s degree funded by the National
Science Foundation while teaching in an 8th grade classroom and my
Ph.D. funded by NASA while working at the Kennedy Space Center, but all that started with my foundation at
MCC.”
From his perspective, today’s students should think clearly about their career plans. “First, find what you are passionate about, what you love to do, and do it. Second, stand out, take every opportunity to find
MCC graduate Adam Monroe went on to earn a degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering
University and is employed at
Key Safety Systems in Sterling
Heights where he works on airbag/ steering wheel development. Monroe encouraged current students to take advantage of the opportunities available at MCC. “Use the help that
Mott College offers,” he advised. “I spent a lot of time with other students in the MCC Math
Empowerment Center.
We would each work on problems together and then compare what we did right or wrong. Also if you are unsure about a problem then don’t be afraid to ask the teacher for help. I know one student who spent more time in
Professor DeGroot’s office than in the class room. It was not because his class was hard, but they just wanted to double check every problem and example and Professor DeGroot was happy.”
Kim Rogers also began at MCC and transferred to Kettering University. MCC grad Adam Monroe.
MCC grad Anthony Napolitano.
She praised MCC for giving her the foundation she needed. “The way Mott College provided handson use in the physics and chemistry labs brought classroom theory into practice and helped develop and improve technical research and testing skills. The small class sizes promoted building new relationships and friendships with classmates through classroom work and study groups developed and improved communication and listening skills necessary for working as a team.
“Being able to build relationships with instructors, I was able to get the assistance and encouragement to continue when frustrated with or having difficulties grasping a hold on concepts,” Rogers stated.
Anthony Napolitano is in his final year at UM-Flint, completing his degree in Human Biology and then going on to medical school after that.
He also found Mott College to be a
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critical step in finding his path to a career in medicine.
“I came to MCC after having a very difficult time at a university,”
Napolitano recalled. “I was very down on myself and wondered if I was really cut out for a college education and ultimately a successful career.
Having dreamed of being a doctor since childhood, I refused to give up on that dream.”
According to Napolitano, “MCC gave me renewed faith in myself and in my abilities as a student of science.
Class sizes were not overwhelming, professors were very welcoming, and all of that made the material easier and more fun to learn. After spending
3 years at MCC, I am more confident than ever that I can be a successful physician. MCC gave me the tools to make what I have to learn not so intimidating.”
“There were many pivotal moments during my time at MCC that I consider significant in my decision to follow a career in science,” Napolitano said. “However, there was one specific person that I consider my most significant supporter. I went into Dr.
Ali Hekmati’s microbiology class still slightly intimidated and doubting myself. Within a week of being in that class, those doubts and feelings of intimidation disappeared. He is one of the most enthusiastic and supportive teachers I have ever encountered in all the years I have gone to school. He is so passionate about what he does, and so intelligent that it could easily intimidate students. But he does not boast about his intelligence. He is so much more concerned with his students and that their intelligence grows. His sense of humor made learning so much more fun, which was very refreshing in a class that consists mainly of discussing and handling bacteria.”
Michael Kelly
Numerous graduates of Mott
Community College have gone on to notable careers, from U.S. Senator
Don Riegle to Federal Judge Paul
Gadola. In Science, one of the most famous graduates of MCC is the aeronautical engineer and designer
Clarence “Kelly” Johnson.
Johnson was only 13 years old when he won a prize for his first aircraft design. In his autobiography
( More Than My Share of It All ), he described coming to Mott
College (then named Flint Junior
College): “I entered Flint Junior
College. In junior college, I was able to take engineering courses for the first time. I studied physics, mathematics, and calculus. I reached the point where I could tutor in calculus and make some money. I loved mathematics and still do. It was a very good junior college, and I received a solid background for my more advanced university courses later.”
Graduating from Mott College,
Johnson went on to the University of Michigan, where he received a
Master’s Degree in Aeronautical
Engineering and began a legendary career designing airplanes. During World War
II, he designed the speedy P-38
Lightning, which pummeled destroyers and intercepted enemy fighters and bombers from Berlin to Tokyo; late in the war his team developed America’s first operational jet fighter, the P-80, in less than six months. Then he delivered the famed Constellation aircraft, which revolutionized commercial aviation. By 1955,
Johnson and his secret division of engineers launched the world’s first dedicated spy plane, the U-2, just nine months after receiving an official contract.
In 1964, President
Lyndon Johnson presented Kelly
Johnson with the Medal of
Freedom, the highest civil honor the
President can bestow. The President said, “Kelly Johnson epitomizes the highest and finest goal of our society, the goal of excellence. His record of design achievement in aviation is both incomparable and virtually incredible. Any one of his
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I Mott Community College many airplane designs would have honored any individual’s career.”
In 1974, Kelly
Johnson was enshrined the the Aviation
Hall of Fame for creating innovative technical concepts that significantly advanced aircraft design, performance, and reliability and for helping to achieve supersonic flight and space flight.
In1983, President Ronald
Reagan presented Kelly Johnson the National Security Medal.
It was the first time an aeronautical engineer had been awarded the medal. In White House ceremonies the medal was presented for
“Exceptional meritorious service performed in a position of high responsibility that has made an outstanding contribution to the
National Security of the Nation”.
From MCC to Outer Space, Kelly
Johnson is a great example of where you can go with the foundation of a science education at MCC.
Michael Kelly
CareerFocus I Summer 2014 I 5

6 I Summer 2014 I CareerFocus
This part of the world was built on manufacturing.
From the early days of the carriage industry through the golden days of General Motors, Flint and Genesee
County always knew how to make things.
Although industry has changed,
Southeast Michigan is still a center of manufacturing but in a new and different way. We are now in an era of Advanced Manufacturing.
The demand for Advanced
Manufacturing occupations grew by
99.4% between 2007 and 2012.
Advanced Manufacturing has been described as an industrial process that “increasingly integrates new innovative technologies in both products and processes. The rate of technology adoption and the ability to use that technology to remain competitive and add value define the advanced manufacturing sector.” Another author states:
“Advanced manufacturing centers upon improving the performance of
U.S. industry through the innovative application of technologies, processes and methods to product design and production.”
According to a recent report by the
Workforce Intelligence Network
(WIN), “Advanced manufacturing is the long-term bread and butter industry of Southeast Michigan.”
The new demands of Advanced
Manufacturing have created a labor shortage of skilled workers. WIN states that “Southeast Michigan has more demand for skilled trades labor, such as CNC machinists and welders, than almost anywhere else in the country.” There were more than 15,000 online postings of available jobs for skilled workers and technicians in Michigan.
As advanced manufacturing continues to grow, it increases the need for high skill, high demand and high wage careers in manufacturing.
One key element in this new world is the need for a high level of technical skills on the part of workers. Experts predict that by 2018, 63% of job openings nationwide will require at least some college education. This usually means the need for advanced skill training from technical programs at a community college.
Mott Community College has been one of the state’s leaders in preparing workers for successful careers in Advanced Manufacturing.
Through such MCC programs as
Machine Tool Technology, Mechanical
Operations Technology, Electronics and Electrical Technology, Robotic
Programming and Control, Computer
Aided Drafting and Design (CADD),
Welding and Industrial Technology, students and workers are given the skills needed for these new jobs.
One area that Mott has been working hard to meet the demands of industry is the Machine Tool Technology program. A new faculty member has been hired, new equipment has been purchased and the curriculum is
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being improved to meet the industry needs.
Elvin Caldwell, program coordinator for Machine Tool Technology and
Mechanical Operations Technology at Mott College described some of the changes that are in process.
“Mott has purchased new equipment that will enable students to learn the technical skills that are getting them employed in the industry. Many students get job offers while still in the program. Students learn the foundation of precision machining, programming of CNC (Computer
Numerical Control) milling machines and turning centers with G & M
Codes, metallurgy, and programming with Mastercam software.”
Tia Simpson of Flint, a current student in MCC’s Machine Tool
Technology program, found herself in demand, taking a position at Weber Automotive in
Auburn Hills “Mott
College prepared me tremendously,”
Simpson related,
“I enjoy coming to
MCC with its smaller class size and more personal attention. I knew my teacher was trying to help me. I wasn’t just a number. Mott gave me a great learning experience. It is hands-on; we all got to ask questions, it was very interactive.”
When she began her new position at
Weber from MCC, she found herself ready for her new responsibilities. “I was very prepared,” said Simpson.
At Weber, Simpson has been working on producing engines for Ferrari, transmission casings for Land
Rover and transmission housings for the Ford F-150 truck. “Mott
College prepared me for that,” she stated. “Many of my colleagues weren’t prepared as I was. I had the knowledge so I can help someone else.”
The opportunities are still there.
According to Simpson, Weber
Automotive has hired 400 people since October and is still hiring.
Simpson herself has been working seven days a week for the last two years because of the demand for her skills. Her company is offering hiring bonuses to make the job more attractive.
“Business is booming,” she said with a smile, “and Mott College prepared me for that.”
Currently Southeast Michigan is home to nearly 15,000 Advanced
Manufacturing machinists, with over
800 machining and CNC related positions posted in the Southeast
Michigan region in the last year.
In every group there are more jobs available than trained workers to fill them. Demand for first-line supervisors of production and operating workers increased by 94.6% between 2007 and
2012.
“The Occupational Outlook
Handbook” describes some of the kind of jobs in demand.
Computer Numerical Control (CNC) programmers develop the programs that run the machine tools. They often review three-dimensional computer-aided/automated design
(CAD) blueprints of a part and determine the sequence of events that will be needed to make the part.
This may involve calculating where to cut or bore into the workpiece.
Computer control programmers and operators use computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines to produce a wide variety of products, from automobile engines to computer keyboards. CNC machines operate by reading the code included in a computer-controlled module,
At a press conference held at Ford Field in Detroit with U.S. Senator Carl
Levin and Congressman Sander Levin in attendance, Siemens Industry announced a $55.8 million in-kind software grant to Mott Community
College. MCC Students will now be able to learn on cutting edge product lifecycle management (PLM) software used throughout global manufacturing. The announcement was made during the 2014 Automotive
Summit at the Manufacturing in America Symposium.
“Mott Community College has a long and productive history working with Siemens and is honored to be selected for this software grant,” said
Mott College President M. Richard Shaink. “We believe that partnerships like this will allow the college to better understand and update programs that prepare the future workforce for success. We are excited about the new capacity this brings to the region and the opportunity to further expand our work in design, PLM and digital manufacturing. We see this technology as a critical element of the innovation enterprise that will lead to the development of new and better products and ultimately to new and better jobs for the greater southeast Michigan region.” which drives the machine tool and performs the functions of forming and shaping a part formerly done by machine operators. CNC machines use the same techniques as many other mechanical manufacturing machines but are controlled by a central computer instead of a human operator or electric switchboard.
Machinists use machine tools, such as lathes, milling machines, and grinders, to produce precision metal parts. Although they may produce large quantities of one part, precision machinists often produce small batches or one-of-a-kind items. They use their knowledge of the working properties of metals and their skill with machine tools to plan and carry out the operations needed to make machined products that meet precise specifications. Machinists first review electronic or written blueprints or specifications for a job before they machine a part. Next, they calculate where to cut or bore into the workpiece—the piece of steel, aluminum, titanium, plastic, silicon, or any other material that is being shaped.
Median wages for machinists are
$22.88 per hour, while median salaries for CNC Machine Tool
Programmers are $26.07 per hour.
The demand for such skilled workers is shown by the fact that there were 15 job postings for each CNC programmer applicant and 2 job postings for each operator applicant in Southeast Michigan.
Michael Kelly
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CADD
Mott Community College is on the cutting edge of technical product design, frequently referred to as Computer Aided Drafting and Design (CADD or “CAD and
Design”). Mott has been a hot bed for companies looking for technical designers, and it was selected by the State of Michigan as one of the two colleges to be the model for the Michigan Advanced Technician Training (MAT 2 ) in Technical Product Design.
Mott was also a recipient of a $55.8 million product lifecycle management software grant from Siemens that will be used by the CADD Program.
MCC Professor Dennis Hughes,
Program Coordinator for the
CADD program, fields a lot of calls from employers across the region looking for highly-skilled people to fill job openings. He helps connect companies that are hungry for highlyskilled individuals to fill positions in
CADD with students and graduates of the CAD and Design program.
CAD and Design basically involves the use of computer aided design software to design objects, make plans and drawings, used by manufacturing companies and in the construction field.
“We have been consistently receiving contacts from area employers in search of students from our CAD and
Design program to fill vacant design positions,” Hughes said. “These employers are interested in current and future graduates, both with and without experience.”
The demand for Computer Aided
Drafting and Design jobs continues to grow, as CADD remains one of the hottest fields in the engineering arena as the manufacturing and engineering fields in Southeast
Michigan continue to be revitalized.
The job prospects couldn’t be better for candidates seeking careers in
CADD, and the word is out about what MCC has to offer.
“I have had recruiters come in to our classrooms,” Hughes said.
“Many companies will hire students as interns, which allows them the flexibility to finish their education and lets the company introduce potential permanent employees to the corporate culture. I have not had one intern NOT get hired,” he added.
“Industry is starting to hire now to offset retirements coming in ten years,” said Hughes. “Companies need people to have experience and an understanding of all the nuances of the field of CADD as the boomer generation retires. Everybody is hiring, big companies and small.”
Additionally, the current shortage of qualified Engineers in all industries including automotive, aerospace and software development, is creating an engineering technician shortage.
“Industry needs more engineering technicians to fill in where there are not enough professional engineers,” said Hughes.
According to Hughes, “CADD is a great career field for detail oriented, hands-on, problem solvers.
The diversity of problems CADD technicians get to address on daily basis is very dynamic. And there are opportunities to work in any size company and it is a skill you can take with you if you change companies.”
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Mott College’s CADD Associate in
Applied Science Degree prepares students for entry level design and engineering technology positions where CADD systems are used to drive the concurrent design and manufacturing environment.
The complete product lifecycle is addressed from concept to the end of the product’s useful life. The Siemens
Teamcenter® software that was part of the $55.8 million grant from
Siemens will be used to help teach product lifecycle management. Mott will be one of the only community colleges in the country teaching the software. Mott has a partnership with
Siemens that goes back more than 15 years.
Along with the Associate Degree in CADD, students can also earn a
Certificate of Achievement in CAD/
CAM in CADD-Mechanical or in
CADD-Architectural and a Certificate of Achievement. CADD students at
MCC also have a unique opportunity to sharpen their skills in MCC’s state-of-the-art Digital Fabrication
Laboratory (FABLAB), a handson laboratory that provides the technology and modern fabrication tools designed to support creativity and innovation, allowing people an opportunity to turn their ideas into products.
“We take an applied approach to teaching the material,” said Hughes,
“we introduce real world problems and open ended assignments so students have to define the problem and develop solutions. We also have a lot of infrastructure that not every school has, to help us get things done and that enables us to offer experiential learning. The advantage of all these tools is that you have a dynamic learning environment,” he said.
Samantha Mason was a student in
MCC’s CADD program when she was hired by General Motors before even completing her degree. GM allowed her to continue her studies and earn her degree while working at the GM
Tech Center in Warren as a Floor
Console Designer. She found that the MCC program prepared her for a successful career.
“The professors keep the environment professional,” Mason said, “which prepares you for the work place. The
Mott program is a great program. I can’t say enough good things about it. I loved it way more than I thought
I was going to. The professors are really helpful. They will challenge you if you need to be challenged and if you need more help they are more than willing to help you. I can’t say enough good things about it.”
MCC graduate Samantha Mason
Real world problems are brought to the classroom for students in Mott
Community College’s Computer
Aided Drafting and Design (CADD) program. Students in Dennis
Hughes’ CADD class worked on a ‘real world’ problem for the
GM Flint Engine Plant that had electronics and mechanical design students working together.
General Motors presented students in the CADD 205 and Electrical
235 classes with a current problem in its High Feature V6 engine crankshaft. According to Kevin Holt,
Controls Engineering Supervisor at the General Motors Flint Engine
Operations, “A recent production concern had led the class to design an automated fixture to detect the presence of balance holes in the crankshaft. The additional constraints of project budget, functional space and product selection were included in the scope of the project.”
“This project allowed students to work in a team environment to develop a solution,” Holt explained.
“Having the electrical students work with the mechanical students simulated our engineering environment. We could see that each student had their role in the success of their design. The teams had to react to suppliers not responding in a timely fashion or ideas that were proved to be not viable.”
”In the end,” Holt stated,”each team was able to develop a solution
job openings. Not just here at GM but at the other car companies, medical facilities and other places.” CADD is used in almost all areas of manufacturing, such as aerospace, defense, medical, automotive, office furniture, construction, and home product design.
Samantha Mason, MCC grad and GM designer
Mason has experienced the strong demand for her skills in the job market. “There are definitely lots of
Gil Martinez, an experienced engineer who works as a Resourcer for Talascend a global engineering resource company that helps industry find qualified candidates for engineering positions, praised
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MCC Professor Dennis Hughes for us. We were able to review the proposals and feel that several are viable solutions that General
Motors could incorporate.”
According to Professor Hughes,
“Students who worked on the project were able to step into the GM facility without missing a beat because our labs at Mott
College are like the real world.
They give students an opportunity to experience an actual work environment like the GM plant.”
Job prospects in the CADD field have never been better, in part because a number of workers left the industry during the last manufacturing downturn. Many companies in Michigan project that as many as 70% of their design staff may be eligible for retirement, according to Hughes.
Mott College’s CADD program. “In my opinion, Mott has the best program because they have the training program and the hands-on application in the shop area, which allows them to see not only how to draw but what it takes to make it,”
Martinez said.
For more information about
CADD programs at MCC, call Dennis
Hughes, CADD program coordinator at (810) 762-0500, email the MCC
Technology Division at tech@mcc.edu or visit www.technology.mcc.edu.
Michael Kelly
CareerFocus I Summer 2014 I 9

The job market for corrections officers in Michigan is booming, and Mott Community
College student Steven LaMay of Flint is already reporting for duty.
10 I Summer 2014 I CareerFocus
LaMay, who is studying Criminal
Justice at MCC, recently completed
Michigan Department of Corrections
(MDOC) training enabling him to begin work as a corrections officer at the Thumb Area Correctional
Facility in Lapeer while continuing his education.
“There is currently a big hiring push in corrections due to a large number of retirements,” said Mary Cusack,
Dean of the Fine Arts and Social
Sciences Division at MCC. “Up to
2,500 corrections officer vacancies are expected to exist in the next five years. The Michigan Department of
Corrections is hiring up to 30 people per month to work in its facilities.
It is a huge area of job growth,” she said.
To meet the high demand for corrections personnel, MCC is applying to the Michigan Correctional
Officers Training Council (MCOTC) to become an approved site for the
320-hour Corrections Training
Program beginning with the Winter
2015 semester, which is required training for individuals interested in entry level corrections officer jobs at state facilities.
“The Training Council is working with four-year colleges and community colleges statewide to offer the 320-hour training program and recruit candidates,” said Cusack.
“We’re excited with the prospect of offering that opportunity in this community.”
MCC already offers the Law
Enforcement Regional Training
Academy (LERTA), a 15-week intensive training program that prepares students to take the Law
Enforcement Licensing Examination.
The LERTA training program, commonly known as a “police academy,” meets the Michigan
Commission on Law Enforcement
Standards (MCOLES) training requirements. The new Corrections training program would be offered at the LERTA facility at MCC’s
Southern Lakes Branch Center in
Fenton.
“It takes a lot of infrastructure to offer the MCOTC’s Corrections
Training,” said Cusack, “MCC is able to leverage our existing resources because of our partnership with the police academy. Additionally, we are well-situated to ensure that students have access to jobs locally due to our proximity to the prison facilities around us.”
Not only is the corrections field growing, the demand for female corrections officers is extremely high. “It is a great field for women,” said Cusack, “there are many opportunities for women at facilities that house female offenders as well as other facilities within the
Department of Corrections.”
Applicants for jobs as corrections officers must complete a minimum of
15 credits of approved coursework.
They then go through the
Department of Correction’s recruiting process to attain approval to attend the training academy.
Candidates must first complete six weeks (280 hours) of training, which includes classroom content about
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Mary Cusack, Dean of the Fine Arts and Social Sciences Division at MCC corrections processes and procedures, physical conditioning and defensive tactics, and equipment and firearm training. Upon successful completion, candidates are offered a position at a state correctional facility. When they accept the position, they become employees of the Department of Corrections, and receive two additional weeks of paid training through the college.
Upon completion of the final two weeks of training, candidates report to their employer/facility for two months of on-the-job training. The final step is an eightmonth probationary employment period to complete the initial year of employment, according to Jai
Deagan, Michigan Correctional
Officers Training Council Liaison.
MCC currently offers the 15-credit certification program in Corrections that qualifies students to apply for entry-level jobs as corrections officers.
In Fall of 2014, MCC is adding a
31-credit Certificate of Achievement and an Associate of Applied Science in Corrections. Analyzing trends in corrections employment, Cusack and Jimmie Baber, Criminal Justice
& Corrections Program Coordinator at MCC, developed the curriculum for the Corrections degree to give students more opportunity for career advancement and career transition.
“Retirement at a relatively early age is common for people working in corrections,” said Cusack. “If they start this career young and put in 25 years, they may be back in the job market in their late 40s and early
50s. We developed an associate’s degree corrections curriculum that will enable them to pursue a bachelor’s degree and have a new career after retirement,” she said.
The Corrections Program was designed to help students achieve success in steps. After completing the
Steven LaMay recommended 17 credits or minimum
15 credits, they work through the recruiting and approval process to be accepted into the training academy. While they work through that process, they can be completing another semester of coursework.
“After those two semesters, students have earned the Certificate of
Achievement,” said Cusack.
Students who successfully complete the corrections training academy earn an additional 13 credits toward
their degree. The final seven classes in the curriculum can be completed online or on campus, giving students maximum flexibility to finish the associate degree while they are working.
“The great thing about this program is that you don’t have to be done with school to get a job,” said LaMay.
“These programs enable you to get a job and continue to go to school to finish a bachelor’s degree program.”
“Occupational experience is not enough anymore,” said Baber.
“You need a four year degree to move into another area of criminal justice after working in corrections.”
Students who continue on for a bachelor’s degree while working in corrections might consider related human service fields such as sociology, social work, counseling and criminal justice.
“A bachelor’s degree will help you move up professionally. It opens up opportunity for promotions within corrections as well as the opportunity for career changes,” Baber added.
“It’s a good time for corrections.
There is an opportunity to move up quickly and make a good salary,”
Cusack said. “But we hope that students think long-term, that they continue their education, and combine that with their experience in corrections to bring about positive changes in the field of human services.”
Dawn Hibbard
810-762-0200 I www.mcc.edu
I Mott Community College CareerFocus I Summer 2014 I 11

The days of wasting time and money on credits that don’t transfer may soon be over.
The Michigan Transfer Agreement
(MTA) goes into effect with the Fall
2014 semester and guarantees that a block of general education credits from Mott Community College will transfer to any public university in Michigan and many private institutions as well.
It is the first statewide initiative to streamline the transfer process since
1973 and will be the first ever to be received by every public school in the state.
The MTA will replace the 40-year-old
Michigan Association of Collegiate
Registrars & Admissions Officers
(MACRAO) transfer agreement.
While the MACRAO agreement had various levels of participation, every four-year and two-year school in
Michigan has agreed to sign on to the MTA, according to Dr. Amy Fugate, Vice
President of Academic Affairs at Mott Community College.
Unlike many other states, there has been no streamlined process for students in Michigan who wish to transfer, making the system inefficient for students, often wasting their time and money.
The idea for the MTA was generated by the state legislature. In 2012 the
Community College
Appropriations
Bill included language that called for the creation of a 14-member committee to
“develop a process to improve the transferability of core college courses…”
The committee was composed of five representatives from community colleges (including MCC’s
Fugate), five representatives from universities and four legislators. The school representatives were chosen regionally. Its goal: to draft
Dr. Amy Fugate an agreement which no school can take exception to in the future.
It’s important to recognize what a huge accomplishment this agreement is, Fugate said.
In the first committee meeting, some of the representatives didn’t think it was a possibility for their schools, she said, but after a few more meetings they got on board.
“I think they realized that it really does make it easier for everyone,”
Fugate stated.
In the last four decades, a lot of the universities have not accepted the
MACRAO agreement, she said. Many
MACRAO-receiving institutions have created provisos, or exceptions, to the agreement. A university might accept the agreement but require a student retake one or more of the courses any way.
The basis of the MTA is to begin with a universal agreement, so that universities will have no reason to create these provisos, eliminating the surprises and subsequent frustration for students when they are ready to transfer.
The MTA will transfer as a block, with no course-by-course transfer process, Fugate said. “This means that a significant part of your general education classes are completed.”
But while the MTA is guaranteed to transfer, universities can still require higher-level general education courses, especially those that are major-specific.
“It doesn’t preclude institutions from having additional requirements, but they cannot nit-pick at those block courses,” according to Fugate.
While it will make the process of transferring simpler, some students may find the requirements of the
MTA more challenging than the
MACRAO agreement.
With the MACRAO agreement, grades in all of the courses had to average at least a 2.0. In the MTA, a student must achieve at least a 2.0 in each course, Fugate pointed out.
In the MACRAO agreement, you could avoid math; in the MTA you cannot and an additional science requirement has also been added to the MTA.
Students may have to work a little harder for the new agreement,
Fugate said, but they can know that it’s worthwhile because it’s guaranteed to count.
“The MTA is very good news for
Mott College students,” according to
Chris Engle, Registrar at MCC. “It means that students will have all of the information about what will or will not transfer up front, which they really deserve as the consumer.”
For students who have been working towards transferring with the
MACRAO agreement, there will probably be some overlap before the MACRAO is eliminated. “There is still a lot of work to be done before the rollout next fall, but the committee and the schools are on track to make it happen,” Fugate said.
This Fall, life for transfer students is going to get a lot easier.
Michael Kelly
12 I Summer 2014 I CareerFocus Mott Community College I www.mcc.edu
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