Published February 2003

EdCC composite-materials program in works for fall

By Eric Fetters
Herald Business Writer

Edmonds Community College will launch a training program in the fall to train future workers in how to handle cutting-edge composite materials.

Advanced composite materials usually consist of new high-strength fibers embedded in epoxy. The lightweight materials are increasingly used in the Boeing Co.’s airplanes.

A number of Snohomish County companies, including Boeing subcontractors, boat builders and makers of medical devices, deal with composites, said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., who recently visited the composite production building at Boeing’s Everett plant to announce $500,000 in federal funding for the new college program.

Composites also make up 10 percent of the parts on the Boeing 777, and that percentage is increasing on each new model, said Liz Otis, general manager of Boeing’s commercial aviation fabrication division.

“Having the ability to get the youth of the future trained ... is absolutely critical for the future of the Boeing Co. and Washington state,” she said.

EdCC has an existing reputation in the study of materials science. In 2000, the National Science Foundation gave a $1 million grant to pay for a permanent materials technology laboratory and resource center at the college.

Working with the University of Washington, the college has developed curriculum and programs to teach materials science to high school and community college students. EdCC is now applying for a five-year, $5 million grant to continue that work, said John Rusin, who has led the project.

The composites training money, which comes from 2002’s Department of Defense budget, will pay for an additional instructor, lab upgrades and the development of curriculum. Additionally, EdCC’s partner at its Lynnwood campus, Central Washington University, will offer four-year degrees related to composite materials.

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