FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 15, 2003
CONTACT: Roland Ruiz, St. Philip's College Director of Community and Public Relations
210.531.4851

ST. PHILIP'S COLLEGE EXPANDS MANUFACTURING ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY OFFERINGS TO INCLUDE PLASTICS PROGRAM

St. Philip's College has expanded its instructional programming in Manufacturing Engineering Technology to include new course offerings in automated plastics processing beginning this fall. The one-year, 29-credit-hour certificate program, offered through the St. Philip's College Southwest Campus, is the only one of its kind in the San Antonio area. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be prepared for careers in the plastics manufacturing industry.

The new St. Philip's College Plastics Program incorporates high-tech training equipment designed to replicate industry standards and processes in teaching individuals how to make plastic parts and molds in a high performance, computer- automated work environment. Courses will give students a general introduction to plastics and focus on various plastic molding processes as well as mold design and maintenance. Students also will learn fundamentals of computer numeric control (CNC) machine operation, robotics and quality control elements that are essential in today's plastics workplace.

"Our new plastics program enhances our training capabilities in the growing field of high performance, automated manufacturing and puts us in position to meet the workforce training needs of the manufacturing industry in San Antonio at a time when it is likely to be most needed," said Federico Zaragoza, St. Philip's College vice president of administration. "We now have the capabilities to train a workforce in metals and plastics manufacturing processes to meet 21st century workplace standards for both the technical expertise and quality assurance required by major industries such as aerospace and automotive."

The Plastics curriculum complements existing St. Philip's College programming in Manufacturing Engineering Technology that focuses on computer-operated machining and computer integrated manufacturing and assembly. The program features advanced training equipment, including a computer-based plastics simulation system made by Paulson Training Programs, Inc., and an electrostatic discharge machine that demonstrates and teaches various high-precision molding processes. These include common industry processes such as injection molding, blow molding and extrusion molding.

A certificate of completion in Plastics can prepare individuals for a broad range of jobs in plastics manufacturing and processing, ranging from food and beverage packaging to aerospace and automotive parts molding. More information on the new Plastics Program is available by calling St. Philip's College Southwest Campus at (210) 921-4660.

St. Philip's College, one of the Alamo Community Colleges serving the greater Bexar County region, is a comprehensive community college designated as both a Historically Black College and a Hispanic Serving Institution. St. Philip's College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.