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

制造业对具有工业自动化工艺技能的高素质机电一体化技术人员的需求日益增长。在威斯康星州西部西部技术学院附近的农村社区，该地区工业所使用的制造工艺与城市地区使用的制造工艺之间的差异越来越大。在这种农村环境中，采用先进工艺的速度较慢。在这些农村地区，机电一体化的教育项目也很难找到。这种情况使得提供支持先进制造业劳动力所需的技术人员变得更加困难。随着农村工业和人口在制造工艺和培训计划方面落后，美国的潜在创新受到了影响。为了帮助解决这个问题，西部技术学院将开发一个先进的机电一体化课程，以培养更多具有支持工业自动化所需技能的技术人员。该项目有可能提高农村地区人口的效率，以培养先进的制造技术人员。它还将提供一个可以被其他机构采用的模式。该项目将通过在区域一级解决这一技能提高挑战的关键部分，为国家的经济竞争力做出贡献。该项目将为西部技术学院自动化专业开发和实施先进制造课程。这些课程基于德国莫斯巴赫应用科学学院行之有效的学徒模式。这些课程将融合传统的课堂和学徒理念，让行业参与到劳动力接触和内容交付中来。学生将在获得副学士学位的同时，多次沉浸在课堂学习中，并在工作现场应用他们的知识。该项目还将重点加强学生在机电一体化领域的职业道路。它将利用与一个农村中学联盟的伙伴关系，支持为高中生开设双学分机电一体化课程，并在完成课程后提高地位。与威斯康星大学斯托特分校的合作也将被用来共同开发2+2机电一体化学位途径的课程，供想要提升学位的学生使用。在项目成功和挑战的整个完成和记录过程中，该项目将产生最佳做法，并帮助成为招聘、保留、坚持和改进学徒交付方法的典范。项目成果将通过正在进行的地区、州和国家层面的外展和教育工作共享。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.