Technical Support

Optical technicians and electrical engineers today are often referred to as "new-collar workers." Their jobs bear little resemblance to the industrial assembly- line manufacturing jobs of 60 years ago: they are often skilled, rewarding, and well paid, with opportunities for advancement and professional development. But one major challenge of this burgeoning industry is getting the word out regarding technical career paths.

In a 2018 interview with SPIE News, Alexis Vogt, endowed chair and associate professor of optics at Monroe Community College, noted that the global optics, photonics, and imaging industry was growing faster than the overall economy. Coupled with industry reports suggesting that one-fifth of experienced technicians and engineers are approaching retirement, she said, the need for skilled optics and photonics technicians was obvious.

Two years later, the message has not changed and that need continues to grow. Vogt advocates for parents and high- school guidance counselors to encourage students and make optics part of every student's vocabulary. "The biggest obstacle is getting the word out," she says. "No high-schooler is thinking ‘I'm going to be an optics technician.'"

If a convincing message can stimulate a new wave of technicians, the workforce will be ready for them. Challenge number two is providing funding for this new wave.

Now, three professional societies are collaborating to address these challenges: the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), SPIE, and the Optical Society (OSA) are each donating $75,000 to fund tuition for the first 15 students of a new photonics-technician program that Stonehill College and Bridgewater State University in southeastern Massachusetts will launch this summer. That program is being implemented in conjunction with MIT's Initiative for Knowledge and Innovation in Manufacturing, which leads the AIM Academy project, the education and workforce development initiative of the manufacturing institute AIM Photonics.

IEEE, SPIE, and OSA have collaborated on programs before but, they have never worked together on technician training. All three are aware that their industry members have struggled to fill photonics technician jobs, and have considered how to address this need.

"For photonics technologies to continue to grow, we need skilled technicians who can bring engineers' vision to life," notes SPIE CEO Kent Rochford. "SPIE is delighted to support students of this exciting photonics-technician program as a timely way to address technician shortages in photonics."

Read the full MIT press release.

Related SPIE content:

Resources for Optics, Photonics, and Laser Technicians

Where is the New Collar Workforce?