NSF Award
1902027
As the advanced manufacturing industry has become increasingly sophisticated, its workforce needs have changed. Today, advanced manufacturing requires workers who can perform complex maintenance and repair procedures on advanced equipment and automation systems. Individuals with the necessary training to perform this work are increasingly scarce. This project will help to address the need for industrial maintenance automation technicians by developing a curriculum that leads students to an Associates of Applied Science degree and industry-recognized certifications. The project will form new industry partnerships that are anticipated to lead to industry internships for students, professional development for faculty, and equipment procurement for the institution. Partnerships with the Florida Advanced Technological Education Center, local industry employers, secondary faculty, and post-secondary technical educators will inform the project and support the goal of educating highly skilled and certified technicians that meet the workforce needs of the local industry. This project also intends to serve as a catalyst for students to start earning college credit in high school. <br/><br/>Across Texas, the projected increase for skilled industrial automation maintenance technicians is 28.2%; the projected increase in the North Central Texas region is 35.5%. This high job growth outlook coupled with the limited supply of available education programs is the driving force for this project. Towards that end, the project will expand course offerings and develop a curriculum that leads to an AAS degree with industry-recognized certifications, and prepares students for work by providing industry internships. While pursuing an AAS degree, students will develop hands-on technical skills and earn stackable, nationally recognized certifications. From this base, students can enter the workforce directly or transfer to local universities to earn additional post-secondary degrees in Engineering Technology fields. The project's curriculum with multiple entry and exit points will also open the door to training for incumbent industry technicians who want to upgrade their skills. The project has the potential to produce a model for skilled technical education that can be reproduced across multiple disciplines. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
