Across Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Missouri, engineering technology programs produced 1,102 bachelor’s graduates last year. Employers in those four states had 4,136 openings. That’s about one graduate for every four jobs.
The demand for these critical positions is expected to keep growing. Manufacturers are greatly feeling the pressure from this gap in supply the most, as are engineering firms and state agencies like the Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
As a regional public university, University of Illinois Springfield plays an important role in developing pathways to meet the workforce needs of our community, region and state. That is why we are launching a new Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Technology, a degree designed to connect students with the skills and experience employers need.
This degree is distinct from a traditional bachelor’s degree in engineering, which is heavily grounded in theoretical practices and advanced design. An applied degree means students develop practical skills needed to bridge the gap between design and production. At UIS, graduates of this program will be prepared to install, run, test and improve robotics, automation, sensors and controls upon which modern operations depend.
A degree built for opportunity
On Oct. 5, UIS partnered with the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association and the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center to bring their Makers on the Move bus tour to campus as we prepare to welcome the program’s first students in fall 2027. Applications will open to interested students later this month.
Students can follow a number of paths toward earning this degree. For some, the first step may be an associate’s degree in applied science before transferring to UIS. The education and skills that a student acquires during these two years are substantial enough to get them hired. But pursuing an applied engineering degree with UIS will not just ensure a job, but a future that builds over time.
Students can also pursue their degree by spending all four years at UIS. The first two years are spent studying mathematics, science, design and communication while gaining hands-on experience in a lab built specifically for this type of training. In the last two years, they can move into various work-based learning opportunities, ranging from solving real industry problems in a campus lab to a hands-on co-op with a faculty adviser and an employer supervisor, alongside their upper-level courses. Every student completes 120 credit hours and a team capstone.
UIS built the Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Technology degree for two groups: high school students who are curious, love to build and want to see where that interest could lead, and working adults already trusted in the job who want to do more but need a flexible path to get there without stepping away from the workforce.
The partnership with industry
IMA helped validate the need for this degree and is now connecting us with manufacturers across the region so we hear directly from the people who will hire our graduates.
This effort has also been shaped by the work of Josh Smith, who is serving as associate director of the program, and Rusty Jones, director of development. Their contributions have been important in moving the program forward and building the connections needed for its success.
Bringing the Makers on the Move bus tour to UIS is an important part of this partnership. The tour shows people what a career in modern manufacturing looks like, and our Engineering Technology degree offers a direct route into that career here in central Illinois.
No university can do this work alone. Employers can host co-ops, mentor students, join our industry advisory board, teach a course or help equip our labs. High school and community college educators can put this degree in front of the students who need to see it.
And each of us can play a part. Think of one person with more ability than opportunity and ask them, “Have you ever thought about what you could become?”
Then send them to uis.edu/engineering. We’ll walk the rest of the way with them.
Travis Bland is dean of the UIS College of Health, Science and Technology, which will launch the Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Technology in fall 2027.
This article appears in October 1-7, 2026.
