Volkswagen Chattanooga, Chattanooga State Community College and Hamilton County Schools celebrated the first graduating class from the Mechatronics Akademie, a two-year mechatronics program open to eligible high school students of Hamilton County Schools, during a commencement ceremony at Volkswagen Chattanooga.
“We are excited that young people are gaining exposure to mechatronics training and the availability of technical careers through the programs offered in our Volkswagen Academy,” said Nicole Koesling, senior vice president of Human Resources at Volkswagen Chattanooga.
“I am proud of the graduates and look forward to watching them grow and develop as they take the next step towards successful careers.”
The fast-track Mechatronics Akademie combines high school and college courses into one program for students who want to pursue a career in mechatronics, the field that unites the principles of mechanics, electronics, information and computing to generate designs that contribute to manufacturing. On Tuesday, 24 Hamilton County high school students were honored for completing the course of study at the Mechatronics Akademie. 14 students received a Tennessee Work Ethic Diploma and are the first students in Hamilton County to earn this recognition. The students also graduated with over 35 college credits that can be applied to an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree.
Over 95 percent of the students have already confirmed their attendance at post-secondary educational institutions. 10 students have committed to continuing their education as apprentices at the Volkswagen Academy.
“The Mechatronics Akademie is a shining example of the opportunities that can be provided to students in our schools when the school district and leading community businesses, such as Volkswagen, work together,” said Dr. Bryan Johnson, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools. “Graduates from this exciting program are on the superhighway to success in additional college training or a career after high school graduation.”
The Mechatronics Akademie program was formed through a collaboration between Volkswagen Chattanooga, Chattanooga State Community College and Hamilton County Schools in an effort to identify and develop candidates for Volkswagen Chattanooga’s Automation Mechatronics Program (AMP) within the Volkswagen Academy. Officials began meeting in 2015 to design the curriculum between these entities and the program started with its first class of juniors in August of 2016.
“Chattanooga State is grateful to collaborate with Hamilton County Schools and Volkswagen Chattanooga to provide high school students a jumpstart to their postsecondary and career success in a state-of-the art learning environment on a global scale,” said Dr. Rebecca Ashford, president of Chattanooga State Community College. “Chattanooga State is pleased to celebrate the first cohort of graduates from this incredible program.”
The Mechatronics Akademie provides hands-on training for technical classes that are structured for 30 percent classroom instruction and 70 percent hands-on learning, promoting the transfer of theory to application.
Students can apply to enroll starting their junior year of high school. Upon completion of the program, graduates will have a strategic pathway for postsecondary education and a technology-centered career, a portfolio of experiences in mechatronics-related fields and an understanding of team dynamics and professional communication.