CENTER MARKS FIVE YEARS
Rob Thomas gets to work with robots every day.
He graduated from Front Range Community College in December after studying automation engineering technology. Now, he does programming, wiring and electrical work on robots for Better Process LLC in Loveland.
“It’s really awesome,” Thomas said. “It’s been my dream, and it feels really satisfying to be able to step into this field and make real change.”
Thomas was one of dozens who visited Front Range Community College’s Center for Integrated Manufacturing on Thursday to celebrate its fiveyear anniversary.
“We know that advanced manufacturing is important to Colorado and we’re here to build that workforce pipeline,” FRCC President Colleen Simpson said.
The Center for Integrated Manufacturing is the only college facility in Colorado with four advanced manufacturing programs under one roof: automation and engineering technology, electronics engineering technology, optics and laser technology and precision machining.
Scott Cook, CEO of the Longmont Chamber of Commerce, said more than 6,500 manufacturing businesses statewide employ 156,000 people, contributing more than $32.8 billion to the economy. Cook said every $1 of output generates $2.74 for the state’s economy.
“Now and in the future, many of these employees will receive training at Front Range right here in Longmont, further expanding those numbers,” Cook said.
During the event, FRCC also celebrated being named the Longmont Chamber’s “Legacy Business of the Year” in 2023.
“Today, thanks to collaboration from our business community and the leadership of Front Range, we have a community that still makes things,” Cook said.
“Longmont is part of the renewal of American manufacturing. We still send products to the moon and many other places across the nation and the globe. And because of that, we are ensuring prosperity for all of us … and for our region and our state.”
Part of FRCC’S Center for Integrated Manufacturing includes training the quantum workforce. Quantum is the study and manipulation of things at a very small scale, like electrons and atoms. Quantum is used in innovations including cell phones, selfdriving cars, medical devices and barcode scanners at the grocery store.
FRCC offers the only optics technology program statewide, which is the study of optics and photonics — a photon being a particle of light.
Applications include laser systems for barcode readers at grocery stores and camera and imaging systems. The community college was also involved in a statewide initiative with Elevate Quantum and played an important role in achieving Colorado’s recognition nationwide as a quantum technology hub in October.
With the advancement of quantum technology, Simpson said, FRCC’S programs are more critical than ever.
“We are going to continue to be evolving, we’re going to continue to be cutting edge, and more importantly we are going to continue to listen to our industry partners,” Simpson said.
Every year, FRCC awards more than $250,000 in scholarships for students at the Center for Integrated Manufacturing. Over the next three years, FRCC will distribute a $37,500 dollarfor-dollar match scholarship from the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative for students at the center.
FRCC is also working on developing a scholarship program, amounting to up to $80,000 a year, for recent high school grads to enroll in optics technology courses at FRCC.
For more information on FRCC’S Center for Integrated Manufacturing, visit frontrange.edu/cim/ index.html.