Engineered for Success: Engineering Technician Training for Rural Arizona

Yavapai学院（YC）将通过其项目“为成功而设计：为亚利桑那州农村地区提供工程技术人员培训”，对其应用工程预培训项目进行改进，以提高能力，改善学生的学习，并响应行业对高技能工程技术人员的需求。正如项目名称所示，重点将放在改善亚利桑那州农村社区学生的机会上。集成系统工程技术人员认证的新途径将被纳入现有的应用预工程计划。新的途径将帮助学生更深入地了解复杂系统以及它们是如何相互联系和协同工作的。引入基于问题的学习（PBL）教学法将帮助学生将不同课程的不同知识联系起来，以解决现实世界的挑战。新的实习机会将使学生接触到实际的工作环境。九个可堆叠的行业认可证书，三个证书和两个副学士学位将为学生提供中等技能工作或额外的高等教育选择。将扩大针对农村高中学生的外展活动，并为中学女生设立夏季机器人夏令营，目的是增加女生参加该计划的人数。一项营销活动将改善家长、教师和学生获得有关科学、技术、工程和数学（STEM）职业和培训计划的信息的途径。改进后的应用预工程课程将包括面向高中生的大学早期课程，并将纳入最佳实践的学生支持策略，如现场辅导和使用现代设备扩大应用学习的机会。在这个项目中采取的行动是根据YC应用预工程项目的初步评估确定的，该项目是根据由亚利桑那州科学基金会（SFAz）制定的STEM路径指南开发和实施的。“为成功而设计：亚利桑那州农村工程技术人员培训”项目的首要目标是：1)培养更多合格的工程技术人员以满足劳动力需求，2)改善工程技术人员教育。实现这些广泛目标的策略包括，但不限于，通过与行业咨询委员会合作，确保技术人员培训满足行业需求，增加注册人数和课程容量，通过有针对性的推广工作提高认识和兴趣，以及改善教学，以更有力地展示相关性和实际行业应用。评估预期结果的达成情况时，将使用院校数据来衡量项目的定量影响（例如入学人数、完成的学位/证书、人口变化等），并使用调查来衡量定性影响（例如教学实践的变化、学生的态度/看法）。作为亚利桑那州科学基金会STEM路径网络的成员，YC将通过该项目寻求证明该组织STEM路径模型的适用性和扩展知识。

Through its project, Engineered for Success: Engineering Technician Training for Rural Arizona, Yavapai College (YC) will implement enhancements to its Applied Pre-engineering Program to increase capacity, improve student learning, and respond to industry's need for highly-skilled engineering technicians. As indicated by the project title, the focus will be on improving opportunities for students in rural Arizona communities. A new pathway leading to certification as an Integrated Systems Engineering Technician will be incorporated into an existing Applied Pre-engineering Program. The new pathway will help students gain a deeper understanding of complex systems and how they are connected and work together. The introduction of problem-based learning (PBL) pedagogy will help students connect diverse knowledge from multiple courses to solve real-world challenges. New internship opportunities will give students exposure to the actual work environment. Nine stackable industry-recognized credentials, three certificates and two Associates Degrees will give students options for employment in middle skills jobs or additional postsecondary education. Outreach events targeting rural high school students will be expanded and a summer Robotics Camp for middle school girls will be instituted with the aim of increasing enrollment of female students in the program. A marketing campaign will improve parents', teachers' and students' access to information about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers and training programs. The improved Applied Pre-engineering Program, which will include an early college program for high school students, will incorporate best practice student support strategies, such as on-site tutoring and expanded access to applied learning using modern equipment. The actions to be undertaken in this project were determined as a result of a preliminary assessment of the YC Applied Pre-engineering Program that was developed and implemented based upon the STEM Pathways Guide, which was developed by Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz).The overarching goals of the Engineered for Success: Engineering Technician Training for Rural Arizona project are to: 1) produce more qualified engineering technicians to meet workforce demands, and 2) improve engineering technician education. Strategies for accomplishing these broad goals include, but are not limited to, assuring technician training meets industry needs by engaging an Industry Advisory Council, increasing enrollment and course capacity, raising awareness and interest through targeted outreach efforts, and improving teaching to more strongly demonstrate relevance and practical industry applications. Attainment of anticipated outcomes will be assessed using institutional data to measure quantitative impacts of the project (e.g. enrollment, degrees/certificates completed, demographic changes, etc.) and surveys to gauge qualitative impacts (e.g. changes in teaching practices, student attitudes/perceptions). As a member of Science Foundation Arizona's STEM Pathways Network, YC will seek to demonstrate the applicability of and expand knowledge about the organization's STEM Pathways Model through this project.