Hands-on Technician Training (HoTT)

南阿肯色社区学院将重新设计工艺技术和工业技术的三门基础先进制造课程，并以混合形式提供。这些课程将成为新的一学期熟练证书的基础，可以直接导致入门级工作，或为学生在工业技术或过程技术学位课程中积累额外证书奠定基础。这些课程将结合行业驱动的、基于能力的学习成果，并整合就业技能，辅以带有行业指定实践活动和评估的开放式实验室。该项目将满足行业对合格技术人员的需求，满足行业对更多实践培训和将就业技能融入课程的需求。混合课程模式中的灵活时间表将为学生提供新的教育机会，并为学生提供灵活的时间表，以便他们能够履行家庭义务并解决经济问题。尽管该地区拥有各种提供高薪工作的行业，但行业无法雇用足够的合格技术人员来满足劳动力需求，因此需要教育更多先进的制造技术人员并提高他们的技能水平，以满足区域和全州雇主的需求。实践技术员培训（HoTT）项目将允许工业技术学生获得行业认可的熟练程度证书（CP）。学生将完成一个学期的共享核心证书，使他们有资格从事入门级技术工作或继续学习工业技术或过程技术，以获得应用科学副学士学位。教师的专业发展将通过指导、当地行业合作者（实习）和委员会参与国家倡导组织（如北美过程技术联盟（NAPTA））来实现。将开发讲座和相关在线资源的录像和发布，让时间有限的学生接受，并通过适当的测试进行评估。开放的实验室课程同样会吸引忙碌的学生（和行业），提供必要的时间沉浸在适当的动手实践中，并反映行业常用的设备和系统认证协议。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于为推动国家经济的先进技术领域培养技术人员。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。

South Arkansas Community College will redesign three foundational advanced manufacturing courses in Process Technology and Industrial Technology, and offer them in a hybrid format. These courses will form the foundation of a new one-semester Certificate of Proficiency that can lead directly to an entry-level job or establish a foundation upon which students can stack additional credentials in the Industrial Technology or Process Technology degree tracks. The courses will incorporate industry-driven, competency-based learning outcomes and integrate employability skills, complemented by open labs with industry-specified hands-on activities and assessments. The project will address industry's need for qualified technicians and industry's desire for more hands-on training and integration of employability skills into coursework. The flexible scheduling built into the hybrid course model will afford students new educational opportunities and offer students a flexible schedule so they can meet family obligations and address financial concerns. Although the region has varied industries that offer well-paying jobs, industries have not been able to hire enough qualified technicians who meet workforce needs and there is a need to educate more advanced manufacturing technicians and raise their skill levels to meet the needs of regional and state-wide employers. The Hands-on Technician Training (HoTT) project will allow industrial technology students to earn an industry-acknowledged, employment-ready Certificate of Proficiency (CP). Students will complete a shared-core, one-semester certificate that qualifies them for entry-level technician jobs or for continued studies in either Industrial Technology or Process Technology toward an associate of applied science degree. Professional development for faculty will occur through mentoring, local industry cooperators (externships), and committee involvement with national advocacy organizations such as the North American Process Technology Alliance (NAPTA). Videography and posting of lectures and relevant online-available resources will be developed, embraced by time-constrained students, and evaluated by appropriate testing. Open laboratory sessions will similarly appeal to busy students (and industry), provide necessary time for immersion in proper hands-on practices, and mirror equipment and system qualification protocols commonly utilized by industry.This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the 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.