Nov 22, 2016 08:48 AM EST By Julia Ramirez, UniversityHerald Reporter

Everett Community College students taking up on robotic operation could obtain industry experience before they graduate.

College and a number of other state officials are setting up appointments with industries around the state to create a paid-internship program, as reported by Herald Net.

In July, the federal Department of Labor provided a $4 million taxpayer-funded grant to the state's Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Materials Manufacturing. This plans to provide paid internships for low-income students learning how to maintain the operations of complex and automated factories.

The Boeing Co. Also awarded a $66,000 grant to finance a part of the costs in setting up the program. The Center of Excellence refused to declare how much contribution that the airplane maker provided.

Financial assistance from Boeing will also assist in paying for a database and web portal that will pair students and internships, and planning meetings with employers that have shown interest around Washington.

Mechatronics, a new field of study, combines traditional industrial subjects, that include welding, mechanics,and hydraulics, with newer areas, such as robotic and programming. These hybrid of skills is in great demand in various industries in Washington. These industries shipping, logistics, food processing, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing.

Industries in the state posted 12,632 job openings in 2015 for mechatronics technicians, which is predicted to grow in the years to come. This is according to the Center of Excellence, which is based at Everett Community College.

Everett Community College founded in 2014 its Advanced Manufacturing Training and Education Center. Sixty students were enrolled in its mechatronics program that began in September.

The internships will benefit to low-income students at South Seattle, North Seattle, Shoreline, Renton, and Everett community colleges.

Mary Kaye Bredeson, executive director of the Center of Excellence, hopes to provide more internships for more than 200 students over the next three years.

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