By Cassandra Sherrill
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has collaborated with MxD Learn to create online courses for the launch of its Virtual Training Center (VTC). The courses developed by N.C. A&T’s Center of Excellence in Product Design and Advanced Manufacturing (CEPDAM) aim to close the skills and perception gaps in modern manufacturing in order to build a nimble and digital-oriented workforce.
MxD Learn is the workforce development arm of MxD, a national digital manufacturing and cybersecurity institute. Its VTC is an online platform where students, workers and employers can access a vast amount of information to assist with training, recruitment, content development and other professional development tools.
The VTC will provide remote and instant access to content in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning in digital manufacturing. These resources will empower the manufacturing industry to expand its workforce, encourage the use of the latest technologies and secure organization resiliency.
“CEPDAM collaborated with A&T’s Extended Campus and other departments to develop cybermanufacturing curriculum toward a certification in smart manufacturing,” said CEPDAM Director Salil Desai, Ph.D. “MxD’s Virtual Training Center makes our courses like ‘Industrial Internet of Things’ and ‘Cybersecurity for Digital Manufacturing’ accessible to a national audience. This enhances our efforts to deliver cutting-edge education to the workforce.”
The University of Maryland Baltimore County and Drexel University also created courses for the VTC, which is designed to serve both manufacturers and individual workers.
