Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Program at Oakton Community College

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Stratum Global and Intermec Help Oakton Community College Create RFID Program

Stratum Global along with Intermec and other industry leaders have helped create an RFID (radio frequency identification) program at Oakton Community College.

Based in Des Plaines, Ill., Oakton's RFID program provides hands-on experience in a simulated industrial warehouse environment to prepare students for opportunities in the workplace. Intermec provided its IF5 RFID readers with 700 series mobile computers and portal antennas.

Stratum Global, an RFID software provider and Intermec Honours Partner, was lead on the project and provided its TagNet RFID software solution suite.

The Oakton RFID lab is designed to emulate a factory portal where workers move tagged boxes or pallets through the passageway allowing inventory processing to occur automatically. The curricula will prepare students for managerial and technical positions within the transportation, warehousing and logistics industries. In addition to gaining RFID technical expertise, the program will teach students how to measure and communicate the business value of RFID implementations to non-technical managers.

"As RFID adoption grows, businesses will need employees skilled in its design and operation," said Robert Sompolski, dean of mathematics and technologies at Oakton Community College. "Our objective was to partner closely with RFID industry leaders, like Intermec and Stratum Global, to create a lab that will give our students experience working directly with RFID software, hardware and infrastructure so they will gain the knowledge that will enable them to implement real-world RFID systems. Without the donations of time and equipment from the industry, this could not have happened so quickly."

The program was partially funded by a U.S. Department of Labor Workforce Investment Act Initiative grant provided through the Illinois Community College Board.

"When industries have access to a workforce that is already educated about RFID, it makes advancing the technology that much easier," said Stratum Global Chief Operating Officer Bill Hood. "The Oakton Community College RFID Center creates a bridge between the education and the industrial community to accelerate the adoption of RFID technology.

For more information about Oakton's new RFID lab and training curriculum, contact Robert Sompolski at 847-635-1975 or somplski@oakton.edu .

Learn about RFID at the Practical Applications of RFID Technology industrial seminars scheduled for February 26 , 2008.
RFID in the Lower Division presented at the 2006 League for Innovation CIT and the 2007 ICCB Homeland Security Institute
Dozens of would-be RFID professionals are getting schooled on the ABCs of RFID each week at a growing number of specialized training facilities.
Oakton Community College's Certificate Programs for RFID Training is one such example. The school's flagship course began this fall with ten students, thanks to an Illinois state grant and vendor support. One of the course requirements is that students identify a company with RFID implementation needs, and take that company through a real-life deployment. As they do this, they address issues such as interference, security, the best location for equipment, and dealing with other radio frequency noise.
TSRI, pioneer and leader in the delivery of staffing services and technology workforce solutions announced today that Joe Kurtzke, RFID Sales Director, will serve as a guest lecturer at the Oakton Community College's Skokie Campus, 7701 North Lincoln Avenue, Skokie, IL on October 25, 2006. Mr. Kurtzke will address current challenges associated with the RFID labor shortage.
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