Information Technology Career Pathways through a Flexible Apprenticeship Model

该项目与工业界、高中和大学的合作伙伴合作，旨在创建一个以工作学习为基础的信息技术副学士学位的模式。为了实现这一目标，该项目将完成三个具体目标。首先，它将为信息技术教育建立一个与行业相结合的勤工俭学模式。学习计划将与灵活的行业认可的学徒制方法保持一致，使学生能够协同学习和赚钱。课程将被设计为提供基础的科学、技术、工程和数学知识，并与特定的技术能力相平衡。第二个具体目标是为高中生建立双学分的信息技术路径，使高中教师能够专业地教授双学分课程。第三个具体目标是出版一份技术指南，以促进该计划的复制，并在俄亥俄州马里昂技术学院试点该计划。该项目有可能产生一个可复制的，灵活的工作学习计划，专为信息技术行业设计，可以在全国范围内实施。因此，它将有助于建设国家网络安全劳动力的能力。该项目的目标是利用合作开发和行业主导的课程，为从网络安全开始的信息技术（IT）途径的学生创建、试点和扩展体验式学习模式。网络安全副学士学位将适应工作学习经验。第一年的工作学习方向和第二年的工作学习机会将为学生毕业后进入劳动力市场做好准备。围绕服务，包括一个全面的方向和侵入性的建议，将告知学生有关项目的细节，并支持他们通过它的进展。灵活的时间安排和学习经验将促进学生与雇主的互动。在行业的指导下，基本技能和工作任务将在学习计划中被识别和移动，以更好地为学生的工作学习经验做好准备。工作学习安排将包括重新定义的生产级角色，以支持学生完成两年制学位。为了支持退伍军人，当前的军事规范和技能将被映射到课程中，项目团队将为在课堂上支持军人和退伍军人的学生提供培训和策略。随着网络安全工作研究模型的发展，该计划将扩展到其他IT途径。项目团队将与地区高中合作，让学生参与信息技术双学分课程。网络学院的招聘活动将提高人们对网络安全和IT的认识和兴趣，并招募学生参加该项目。项目内容包括开展工作准备活动，并为高中教师提供基于能力的模块，以证明他们有资格教授双学分IT课程。该项目将开发的产品将推广到其他机构，包括一个新的行业主导的可复制的IT路径工作学习模式、面向高中的早期IT路径倡议，以及一个在全国其他机构复制和试点的技术指南。该项目由美国国家科学基金会的先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动我国经济的高科技领域培养技术人员。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Working with industry, high school, and college partners, this project aims to create a model for a work study-based associates degree in Information Technology. To accomplish this goal, the project will complete three specific aims. First, it will establish an industry-aligned work study model for information technology education. The program of study will align with flexible industry-recognized apprenticeship approaches and enable students to synergistically learn and earn. The curriculum will be designed to provide foundational science, technology, engineering, and mathematics knowledge, balanced with specific technology competencies. The second specific aim is to establish a dual credit information technology pathway for high school students, with professional development to enable high school teachers to teach the dual credit courses. The third specific aim is to publish a technical guide to facilitate replication of the program and pilot the program at Marion Technical College in Ohio. The project has the potential to produce a replicable, flexible work study program designed for the information technology industry that could be implemented nationwide. As a result, it will contribute to building capacity in the nation's cybersecurity workforce.The project goal is to leverage a collaboratively-developed and industry-led curriculum, leading to the creation, pilot, and scaling of an experiential learning model for students in Information Technology (IT) pathways starting in cybersecurity. An Associate Degree in Cybersecurity will be adapted to incorporate the work study experience. Work study orientation in the first year of the program and work study opportunities in the second year will prepare students to enter the workforce upon graduation. Wrap around services, including a comprehensive orientation and intrusive advising will inform students about the details of the program, and support them as they progress through it. Flexible schedules and learning experiences will facilitate student/employer interactions. With guidance from industry, essential skills and job tasks will be identified and moved earlier in the program of study to better prepare students for their work study experiences. Work study placements will include production-level roles that are re-conceptualized to support student completion of a two-year degree. To support veterans, current military codes and skills will be mapped to the curriculum and the project team will provide training and strategies for supporting military and veteran students in the classroom. Following development of the cybersecurity work study model, the program will be scaled to other IT pathways. The project team will collaborate with regional high schools to engage students in IT dual credit pathways. A Cyber Institute recruiting event will raise awareness of and interest in cybersecurity and IT, as well as recruit students into the program. Project components include conducting work readiness activities and providing competency-based modules to high school teachers to credential them to teach dual credit IT courses. The project will develop products that will be disseminated to other institutions, including a new industry-led replicable work study model in IT pathways, Early IT Pathways Initiative for high school, and a technical guide for replication and piloting at other institutions nationwide. This project is funded by NSF's Advanced Technological Education program, which focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy.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.