The Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) has granted approval for Ivy Tech Community College to offer a new online Technical Certificate and Associate of Applied Science Degree in Manufacturing Production and Operations beginning January.

The new online certificates and degrees combine existing elements of the college’s Industrial Technology and Advanced Manufacturing programs with new interactive, simulation-based training modules provided by Oxygen Education, an Indianapolis based developer of online content for technical education.

Each of the 14 new online courses provides self-paced, interactive learning, mentored support systems, proctor-testing and state-of-the-art technologies to prepare students for skilled manufacturing positions. Graduates will be trained in gauging and inspection equipment, CNC machine operations, metrology, tooling, quality systems, inspection techniques, lean manufacturing and automation.

The Manufacturing Production and Operations program focuses on preparing workers who set up and operate machines, especially those in computer-controlled networks, which allow operators to tend to a number of machines simultaneously, and those that employ robots to load and upload parts from machines.

In addition to the degree program, Ivy Tech will offer the entire Oxygen Education library of courses to businesses and individuals wishing to improve their skills and efficiency in any one or a combination of topics, including safety principles, shop mathematics, print reading, quality control, machine operation and more than 40 other offerings. Ivy Tech’s Workforce and Economic Development teams will contact Indiana’s business leaders to share the value and benefit of online training for key performance improvement classes in manufacturing.

To learn more about the new program, visit www.ivytech.edu/mpro.