Maricopa District Office
Manufacturing

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the most powerful engine of national economic growth that drives the technology boom. The sector accounts for the largest portion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at nearly $1.6 trillion. Traditional perceptions of manufacturing are being transformed by the increasing use of advanced technologies in the manufacturing process, as well as the rise of new technology-intensive industries like semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. The dangerous, dirty, labor-intensive assembly line jobs of previous decades are gone, replaced by robotics and intelligent systems requiring high-tech skills.

In Greater Phoenix, the manufacturing sector can be divided into three major sub-categories:

  • High-Tech Manufacturing: The manufacture of high-tech equipment such as computers, semiconductors, electronic instruments, and communications equipment.
  • Aerospace:The manufacture of aircraft, aircraft engines, rockets, and space vehicles for both the military and civilian markets.
  • Other Manufacturing: All other manufacturing areas, such as food processing, chemicals, furniture, and machinery manufacturing. Although the products of these industry sectors might not necessarily be high-tech in nature, they can nevertheless be manufactured using high-tech methods.

The Maricopa Community Colleges offer a variety of manufacturing programs in disciplines such as aerospace, automated systems, CAD technology, drafting, electronics, machining, and management.

Greater Phoenix High-Tech Manufacturing Workforce Study
In December of 2005, the Battelle Memorial Institute’s Technology Partnership Practice released a report on the future of the high-technology manufacturing industry in the Greater Phoenix region. Co-sponsored by the Maricopa Community Colleges, the report was designed to identify ways in which high-tech manufacturing jobs can remain and grow in Greater Phoenix. To access this report, please click here.

AZHighTech.com
Visit our student-friendly website, azhightech.com. You'll find information for prospective students, advisors, employers, and faculty about career paths, skills, courses and specialty areas within manufacturing. Read profiles of college alumni and learn how to contact faculty and advisors. Take advantage of opportunities that await you.