ECC Industrial Maintenance Instructor Prepares Students for the Future of Manufacturing

Though Elgin Community College (ECC) instructor Anthony Bellavia has taught Industrial Manufacturing Technology (IMT) for more than three years, his connection to campus goes back even further, as a former student.

After spending about five years working in the industry, Bellavia then felt compelled to return to the classroom and support students following a path similar to his own. 

“Being able to share everything that I learned in the industry, and then share that with the new incoming students, and ultimately help them through their careers too, was the main reason why I came back,” he said. 

Bellavia teaches in the advanced manufacturing program, which he describes as “the business of making something from nothing.” 

“Essentially, when they come here, they learn all about how stuff is actually made,” he said.

Students learn how to transform raw materials such as steel and aluminum into finished parts using industry-standard equipment and technology. They gain experience programming and operating computer numerical control (CNC) machines, troubleshooting production processes, and manufacturing precision parts used across a variety of industries.  

Ultimately, ECC students are learning much more than how to operate equipment. They’re being introduced to multiple career pathways such as engineering, product development, testing, and advanced manufacturing. 

Expanding Opportunities with the New Manufacturing and Technology Center (MTC)

With the opening of ECC’s new Manufacturing and Technology Center (MTC) this fall, Bellavia sees even greater potential for student learning. 

“With this new space (MTC), we're tripling our size and our capabilities,” he said. He explained that he’ll be able to elevate student learning with increased access to equipment and more advanced projects that mirror real-world industry environments. 

Bellavia also said he hopes the MTC will help challenge outdated perceptions of the manufacturing industry as “dirty or outdated.” According to him, today’s manufacturing facilities are modern, clean, and technology-driven environments. 

“Manufacturers don’t want to buy this equipment, which costs thousands of dollars, and then put it in a nasty warehouse,” Bellavia said. “They want these things to last and keep making money. They need a clean environment.” 

Beyond Manufacturing 

While some graduates enter the workforce directly into manufacturing roles, Bellavia said the skills students develop often open doors to a variety of career paths.

“The skills they get here aren’t just manufacturing skills,” he said.

That understanding has helped many students successfully transfer into engineering programs after achieving an associate degree at ECC.

“What we always teach our students is if you know how to make something, you know how to design and engineer something better than someone that would just go and get a regular engineering degree,” he said. 

Others pursue careers in applications engineering, product testing, process improvement, and product development, Bellavia said. 

“Students take this experience and then go and apply that to jobs where maybe they're proving out new forms and products for companies, or being a part of a test team that goes in and says, ‘Hey, we need to change this design. Let's make it cheaper to produce,’” Bellavia said. 

For him, helping students discover those possibilities is one of the most rewarding parts of the job. 

“The magical part of this whole job is to be able to do what I was doing out in the field and then bring that into the program,” he said.