Engineering Technology Pathways: The Food and Foodstuff Supply Chain

The Engineering Technology Pathways: Food and Foodstuff Supply Chain project is the first Engineering Technology program in which a community college and major land grant research university offer articulated degrees with a concentration in the food and foodstuff supply chain. Ivy Tech Community College and Purdue University College of Technology recognize that the food and foodstuff supply chain consists of industries that utilize raw material crops in value-added markets such as feed and alternative energy production. The variety of the supply chain is a crucial characteristic to maintaining sustainability in commodities and processing industries.

With this project, high school graduates have the opportunity to begin their education in this field by earning an Associate of Science degree in Engineering Technology (A.S.E.T.) at Ivy Tech Community College and then seamlessly transfer credits to Purdue University in order to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Technology (B.S.E.T.) at Purdue's College of Technology Statewide. This innovative educational pathway is preparing a technical workforce to address the challenges facing both producers and manufacturers in the food and foodstuff industry, which has an expanding but largely unfilled need. Through this collaborative approach, Ivy Tech and Purdue students benefit from a Web-compatible curriculum that encompasses the trans-disciplinary nature of the food and foodstuff industry, incorporating fields such as technological innovation, mechanical engineering technology, electrical engineering technology, food studies, and communication.