Sinclair Community College and Festo Form Apprenticeship Partnership to Launch Career and College Success for Students

Sinclair Community College and Festo Corporation have launched a new partnership that will allow students to earn college credits toward a Sinclair associate degree while gaining critical advanced manufacturing skills on the job.

Individuals who complete the Festo Mechatronics Apprenticeship Program (MAP) will earn 20 credits hours toward a Sinclair Automation and Control Technology with Robotics Associate of Applied Science degree. This leaves only 40 additional credit hours to earn the degree and effectively reduces the tuition cost of obtaining the degree by 30%.

Festo is a leading global supplier of intelligent automation solutions including pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components, and instruments for process control and factory automation. Festo’s state-of-the-art assembly and distribution center is located in Mason, Ohio. Festo Didactic is the learning arm of Festo.

MAP was established by Festo Didactic to address the workforce skills gap in advanced manufacturing. MAP is designed to help apprentices earn while they learn advanced manufacturing skills in mechatronics. Apprentices work four days a week with an employer and spend one day at the Festo Learning Center in Mason, Ohio, for hands on training. MAP is accepting apprenticeships on a rolling admission basis instead of a semester schedule. The program consists of 57 weeks of training. This schedule allows for more apprentices to enroll faster, train faster, and get to work faster.

“The partnership with Sinclair Community College brings a new dimension to the professionalism and earning power of students interested in fulfilling careers in manufacturing,” said Karolyn Ellingson, Head of Industrial Workforce Development at Festo Didactic.

“This innovative partnership with Festo will strengthen the workforce pipeline by providing the exceptional education and on-the-job training students need for lucrative, rewarding careers in advanced manufacturing,” said Madeline Iseli, Senior Vice President Advancement and Regional Strategy – Sinclair Community College.

Sinclair’s Automation and Control Technology with Robotics associate degree provides electrical and mechanical education and training in developing, installing, programming, and troubleshooting the complex machinery found in the modern manufacturing and supply chain environments. Career paths include electronic engineering technician, industrial maintenance technician, robotics technician, system integrator, and supply chain technician. The degree is offered at Sinclair’s Dayton and Mason campuses.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 11,100 openings for electrical and electronic engineering technicians are projected annually through the year 2031 with the median average salary of more than $63,000.

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For more information on the new partnership and opportunities in a MAP apprenticeship, contact: Karolyn Ellingson or Karen Oberer at festolearningcenter.us@festo.com

Photo Caption
(L to R) Karolyn Ellingson - Head of Industrial Workforce Development at Festo Didactic, Christopher Hubbard – Director, Sinclair College in Mason, and Madeline Iseli - Senior Vice President of Advancement and Regional Strategy, Sinclair Community College

About Festo Didactic

Festo leverages its automation expertise to provide comprehensive industrial and technical education solutions. Festo Didactic is committed to providing educators and employers with the hands-on training, digital coursework, and blended learning solutions needed to close the STEM skills gap. Our lab equipment, curriculum, and certification programs are thoughtfully designed to support various learning pathways and on-the-job training. With 4,000+ FICP certifications and 36,000 Festo-equipped educational institutions, Festo Didactic and its partners prepare trainees and employees for the future of work. http://www.festo.com.

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About Festo

Festo is a leading worldwide supplier of intelligent automation solutions including pneumatic and electromechanical systems, components and controls for process control and factory automation. Celebrating 50 years in the U.S., Festo Corporation has continuously elevated the state of manufacturing with innovations and optimized motion control solutions that deliver higher performing, more profitable automated manufacturing, and processing equipment. Through advanced technical and industrial education, Festo Didactic Learning Systems and its partners prepare workers for current and future manufacturing technologies. For more information, visit www.Festo.com.

About Sinclair Community College

Sinclair Community College offers more than 300 degree and certificate programs, including specialized and technical areas of study that are in high demand in the Dayton region. Sinclair is recognized as a local and national leader in delivering high-quality and affordable higher education. In 2023, Sinclair Community College was named the top college in the country for sustained and persistent student success when it received the esteemed Leah Meyer Austin Award from Achieving the Dream. One of the oldest and best-known community colleges in the nation, Sinclair was founded in 1887 and is a board member of the prestigious League for Innovation in the Community College. Learn more at Sinclair.edu.

About Sinclair in Mason

The Sinclair College campus in Mason continues Sinclair’s mission of providing accessible, affordable, flexible education to meet the needs of the community. Conveniently located, the campus is easily accessible from I-71. Sinclair in Mason offers a full-service small campus feel, with all the advantages and resources of a large public community college. 30 degree and certificate programs are offered in Mason, with over 30 fully online programs and more than 300 programs available system-wide. Students can earn job-ready credentials or earn credits that transfer easily to any four-year college or university. For more information, visit Sinclair.edu/Mason.