Automation Workforce Development through Aligned Industry Partnerships and Training - Project ADAPT

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There is a growing demand in manufacturing industries for well-qualified mechatronics technicians with skills in industrial automation processes. In rural communities near Western Technical College in western Wisconsin, there has been a rising difference between the manufacturing processes used in the region's industries and those in urban areas. Advanced processes are slower to be adopted in this rural setting. Educational programs in mechatronics are also hard to find in these rural locations. This situation makes it more difficult to supply the technicians needed to support an advanced manufacturing workforce. The potential innovation of the United States is affected as rural industries and populations trail behind on manufacturing processes and training programs. To help address this issue, Western Technical College will develop an advanced mechatronics program to prepare more technicians with the necessary skills to support industrial automation. This project has the potential to increase the efficiency of rurally-located populations to produce advanced manufacturing technicians. It will also provide a model that could be adopted by other institutions. The project will contribute to the nation's economic competitiveness by addressing a crucial piece of this skills improvement challenge on a regional level. This project will develop and implement advanced manufacturing courses for the Automation Program at Western Technical College. The courses are based on a proven apprenticeship model at the Applied Sciences College in Mosbach Germany. These courses will merge traditional classroom and apprenticeship philosophies by engaging industry in workforce exposure as well as content delivery. Students will be immersed in classroom learning and application of their knowledge on the job site multiple times while earning their associate degree. The project will also focus on enhancing career pathways in mechatronics for students. It will leverage partnerships with a consortium of rural secondary schools to support dual-credit mechatronics courses for high-school students and advanced standing upon completion. Collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Stout will also be used to co-develop courses in a 2+2 mechatronics degree pathway for students who want to advance their degrees. Throughout completion and documentation of project successes and challenges, the project will generate best practices and help serve as a model for recruitment, retention, persistence, and modified apprenticeship delivery methods. Project results will be shared through ongoing outreach and education efforts on regional, statewide, and national levels.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.