Planning Grant for Regional Center of Excellence in Automation and Process Technology

该项目正在制定一项计划，在俄勒冈州威拉米特山谷建立ATE地区自动化和过程技术卓越中心。该中心的最终目标是培养一名受过教育的工人，拥有在当今计算机化的制造环境中蓬勃发展的技能和理解力。规划工作正在发展地区社区学院、四年制院校、中学、企业、工业委员会和政府机构之间的机构联盟，并使之正规化。它正在为四个目标制造部门的工艺技术人员确定共同的、可移植的技能能力，并正在审查和评估现有的教育材料，这些材料将被打包成跨学科、基于能力和职业验证的综合和模块化先进制造课程。最后，它正在定义职业道路，确定与劳动力市场需求相匹配的职业道路上的明确教育步骤，并促进学生在高中、社区大学和四年制院校之间的过渡。形成性评价工作的重点是发展协作伙伴关系，而总结性工作则是审查在确定共同的、可移植的技能、审查和评估现有教育材料以及确定与劳动力市场需求相匹配的职业道路方面取得的成功。正在通过专业和技术教育院长网络和俄勒冈州职业和技术教育协会进行传播。更广泛的影响包括与州长制造业劳动力委员会的支持性关系，该委员会建议扩大社区大学制造业项目，并支持地区公私卓越中心。计划中的地区卓越中心将加强社区学院与全州经济发展努力的联系。该项目特别注重改善任职人数不足和服务不足的人口的参与程度。

The project is developing a plan for an ATE Regional Center of Excellence in Automation and Process Technology in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. The ultimate goal of the center is to create an educated worker with the skills and understandings to thrive in today's computerized manufacturing environment. The planning effort is developing and formalizing institutional alliances among regional community colleges, four-year institutions, secondary schools, corporations, industrial councils, and government agencies. It is identifying common, portable skill competencies for process technicians in the four targeted manufacturing sectors, and it is reviewing and evaluating existing educational materials to be packaged into an integrated and modular advanced manufacturing curriculum that is interdisciplinary, competency-based, and occupationally verified. Finally, it is defining career pathways that identify clear educational steps on career paths matched to labor market demand and facilitate student transitions between high school, community college, and four-year institutions. Formative evaluation efforts are focusing on the development of collaborative partnerships, while summative efforts are examining the success in identifying common, portable skills, in reviewing and evaluating existing educational materials, and in defining career pathways that are matched to labor market demand. Dissemination is being carried out through the Professional and Technical Education Deans' Network and the Oregon Association of Career and Technical Education. The broader impacts include a supportive relationship with the Governor's Manufacturing Workforce Committee that is recommending an expansion of community college manufacturing programs and support for regional public-private centers of excellence. The planned Regional Center of Excellence would enhance the connection of community colleges to economic development efforts throughout the state. The project has a special focus on improving the involvement of underrepresented and underserved populations.