College Graduates-Did you Know Additive Manufacturing/3D- Printing Jobs are On the Rise?

A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to a local Wisconsin radio station discussing the growing

concerns of college graduates and their parents, about whether or not they/their child

will find a “decent” paying job after school. Certainly, a degree is a stepping stone to a

better job and a better life.

Or is that not the case anymore?

The US'' educational system seemed to work much better decades ago when tuition was

affordable. Sadly, this seems to be no longer the case. The show host went on to site

some statistics… Less than 20 percent of college graduates leave campus with a job, a

staggering 80 percent leave buried in debt.

With that in mind, I wondered if college or even high school students today, are being

exposed to this new exciting “manufacturing revolution” called 3D Printing/Additive

Manufacturing. Do students and career-counselors know it is disrupting the

manufacturing industry and its design process? Are career-guidance counselors

explaining the role it has in offering quality career opportunities to this younger

generation? After all, 3D /Additive Manufacturing printing technology has grown so

rapidly that it’s making waves across EVERY industry—from producing body parts to

home construction. Just last week I read in an industry newsletter, that researchers at

the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, have 3D printed a prototype bionic eye.

Wow! Can you imagine what the next four years of research and development will

provide? Will the next surge of college graduates be ready for employment in this

growing field of opportunity? 

To stay competitive, virtually every company -- in every industry –must recognize the

value of this unique skill set and hire workers in all sorts of areas such as: software

developers (like Bluestreak I Bright AM™ who can design software solutions to track,

control, and manage 3D/AM production facilities), print operators, sales people who

understand 3D/AM production requirements and functionality of products, research and

development, trainers—an endless bevy of career opportunities.

So, I was curious. Other than trade schools, are there any universities that offer full

degrees in 3D/Additive Manufacturing? I came across a website listing five of their

favorites, a mix of the best UK and US universities. They are: (not in any specific order)

1. Nottingham University (UK)

2. Penn State

3. Sheffield University (UK)

4. Derby University (UK)

5. MIT

For more information about these universities and their courses, visit:

https://www.3dnatives.com/en/3d-printing-uni-degrees-201120174/