Ivy Tech Community College announced a new apprenticeship program Wednesday that will place students in emerging career fields around internet-connected factory robots. It’s being funded by a nearly $4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor.

The program will run for four years and aims to put more than 3,000 apprentices in Indiana manufacturing companies. Students will earn credentials in automation and robotics. It’s part of a push some are calling the “fourth industrial revolution” that focuses on automation and data collection.

Sue Smith is the vice president of Advanced Manufacturing, Engineering, and Applied Science at Ivy Tech. She says more advanced and internet-connected machines are already in many Indiana factories.

“As a college, we need to make sure that our faculty, our labs, and our curriculum is where it needs to be to support this new technology,” Smith says.

The federal DOL grant was just one of 28 nationwide grants to create more apprenticeships between public schools and private employers.

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