New UW engineering degree in the works

GREEN BAY - New engineering opportunities are in the works within the University of Wisconsin system.    

For the first time ever, you could get a four year engineering degree at both UW-Green Bay and UW-Oshkosh.

At least that's the hope behind a new push by the colleges.

However, it was the voice of area companies that ultimately got the ball rolling.

Latest reports show the area's manufacturing sector is headed in the right direction.

"What I’m hearing from the industry, as a whole, is they're doing well and they're very optimistic about the coming year," said Ann Franz with the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance. "In fact, 97 percent say they were either healthy or very healthy financially."

However, Franz added other reports show finding skilled, local talent is another story.

According to the Alliance's latest manufacturing index, 46 percent of area companies say they'll have trouble filling the skilled positions this year.

That's up from 29 percent in 2011.

The report says one of the most difficult positions to fill is engineers. However, area colleges hope to provide some relief.

"We're breaking new ground here," said UW-Green Bay Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Scott Furlong.

Furlong, says UWGB and UW-Oshkosh are working to develop a collaborative four year, engineering technology degree program.

That would include three different majors: Electrical, Mechanical and Environmental Technology engineering.

Furlong says it's a collaborative effort with not only UW campuses, but also the area technical schools.

He says it's the first collaboration of its kind for Northeast Wisconsin.

"The idea here is to provide multiple avenues that students go through to get this, to achieve this degree and the hope is to meet some of the needs in this area," Furlong said.

UW officials say they still need a number of approvals before anything is set in stone.

That includes the go-ahead by the Board of Regents as well as some additional funding from the state.

"We're confident we put in a pretty good proposal," Furlong explained. "We've recognized, and I think a lot of us in the Northeast Wisconsin area have recognized, the need and we think it fits the job agenda that's out there."

Ideally, Furlong hopes the program is in place as early as next school year.