CMU to help train defense jobs through partnership
Central Michigan University is adding defense to its curriculum.
The university is partnering with the Defense Acquisition University to train students for jobs in major weapons research, production, procurement and distribution.
Most of the training will be administered by former Department of Defense employees hired by CMU. Classes will begin in the fall at some of CMU’s satellite schools near military bases.
Al Zainea, director of undergraduate programs and academic liaison for off-campus programs, said the partnership was born out of CMU and the Department of Defense’s 35-year-old relationship.
“We, in the past, have always provided graduate level degrees for individuals in the military,” Zainea said. “They approached us because of our excellent educational opportunities and degrees for the military student located outside of Mount Pleasant.”
Typically, students who complete the program go on to work for the Department of Defense. Carl Hayden, associate dean of academics for the DAU midwestern region, said other federal agencies value the skills as well.
“This training is geared toward the Department of Defense, but it has applications for other federal agencies like Homeland Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the FBI, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Commerce and the Department of the Treasury,” Hayden said.
Classes are broken into six technical areas: contracting, logistics, system engineering, production quality and manufacturing, business cost estimating and financial management.
Hayden believes the program will give CMU an opportunity to improve Michigan’s economy.
“CMU will be supporting and helping Michigan get people back employed at TACOM and the Department of Defense,” he said.
The U.S. Army’s TACOM LCMC, a command in Warren specializing in the development and production of weapons, expects to hire about 1,000 new employees in 2011. It hopes to cull much of the staff from DAU training programs.
Fred Andriaschko, TACOM’s training administrator, said DAU certification will benefit TACOM and students.
“Based on their academic record, they could earn a higher starting salary than the average person who didn’t have that background,” Andriaschko said. “We benefit by getting more experienced and more knowledgeable potential employees.”
Depending on the position of interest, a student may need an undergraduate degree and one to three years in administrative experience to be considered. The program allows students to gain administrative experience through internships.
“Central Michigan is a vital player in this educational partnership,” Andriaschko said. “Central Michigan obviously is a major school in Michigan, and we’re glad to have them on board as a partner.”
