Partnership for Advanced Career Education in Mechatronics Engineering (PACE ME)

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This project at Virginia Western Community College will increase the number of American mechatronics engineers. Mechatronics engineering concerns systems that integrate electrical, mechanical, and computer technologies. Many modern technologies such as manufacturing, robotics, and automated equipment involve mechatronics design and maintenance. Developing and maintaining a sufficient workforce of highly skilled mechatronics engineers and technicians is a vital factor in a sustaining a strong United States economy. Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) is conducting a project called the Partnership for Advanced Career Education in Mechatronics Engineering (PACE ME). This effort will improve the degree of collaboration between community college faculty, technical educators, and industry to help achieve effective mechatronics education. Mechatronics engineering is an area with a growing need for appropriately-skilled engineers and technicians. The project addresses gaps in diversity in this field and develops a structure to build awareness of Mechatronics Engineering Technology to help increase the number of people pursing this career path. The project involves a diverse population of students and is designed to produce innovative engineering technicians with critical thinking and adaptive learning skills. The project will utilize innovative student-focused strategies to achieve the project goals for student retention and success in producing mechatronics engineers and technicians. Mechatronics demands the application of multidisciplinary skills. To create a program to develop these skills educators will collaborate with industry partners to create opportunities for experiential learning. Industry is also engaged through integrated internships and stackable credentials. Industry involvement will also help student training to keep pace with rapidly changing intelligent systems. This project embraces the importance of enhancing the capability of faculty to support student understanding of mechatronics technologies by providing professional development of course instructors. PACE ME will establish a modern fabrication laboratory to support both secondary and postsecondary technician training and to strengthen industry alliances. Through the fabrication laboratory PACE ME implements industry-relevant projects and problem-based learning. The project monitors key outcomes including the number of underrepresented students exposed to mechatronics engineering, the rate of change in enrollment of mechatronics related courses, and the number of industries serving as contributing partners. PACE ME includes an organized effort to disseminate the effective practices and outcomes resulting from the project.