business backgrounder | education & workforce
Modern composites made with carbon fiber are prized
for strength and durability and used in aerospace, defense,
building, transportation, and high-end sporting goods (think
sleek, lightweight golf clubs).
“Composites represent the future,” said Ann Avary, director
of the Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing &
Technology housed at Skagit Valley College. “The use of
materials in multiple industry applications provides opportunity
at all levels of the supply chain.”
It’s also a vibrant, greening industry that’s changing alongside
technological advances in manufacturing and the search for more
environmentally-friendly practices and materials.
“The development of new resins, best practices and
technologies will facilitate safer, cleaner, and more sustainable
processes,” Avary said.
“Our goal is to offer ‘stackable’ certificates, so
students can complete more training to advance
their career as their interests and skills expand.”
— Mary Kaye Bredeson, executive director of the
Center of Excellence for Aerospace & Advanced Manufacturing
career challenge
This sort of growth and rapid technological innovation
come at a price: The industry needs skilled workers,
who require training, certification, and instruction by
qualified educators who are up-to-date on the latest
industry developments.
Enter the Composites Washington alliance, a
consortium of 10 Washington community colleges
currently offering composites training to students (see
a list of the colleges at compositeswa.org).
Together with Avary, Bredeson heads up the alliance
that works collaboratively with industry and policy
makers, meets regularly to share industry news with
member schools, and coordinates instructor training
and support.
“For both the industry and the students we train,
Composites Washington actively leverages resources
to deliver professional development training for
instructional faculty and industry partners, providing
a direct line of enhanced training to the student, and
strengthening the connection between education and
industry,” Avary said.
“We have succeeded in forming
a smaller, more agile law firm
composed of experienced lawyers
and staff, committed to achieving
our clients’ litigation objectives.”
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