Improving Mechatronics Technician Training for the Advanced Manufacturing Industry

由于对工人的需求不断增长，加上不断增长的退休速度，弗吉尼亚州的中央劳动力地区正经历着受过充分培训的制造技术人员的短缺。该地区的特殊之处还在于，当地制造商采用基于罗克韦尔自动化的系统的速度高于附近地区。通过这个项目，中央弗吉尼亚社区学院(CVCC)将提高机电一体化制造技术员教育的严格性和能力，重点是可编程逻辑控制器(PLC)。该项目将专注于通过罗克韦尔自动化PLC维修员认证来增强CVCC的机电一体化AAS学位课程。这些认证得到了行业的认可和雇主的重视。通过有针对性的拓展，机电一体化计划将与区域中学系统和当地先进制造业密切合作，为中学生提供直接体验机电一体化和先进制造业的机会。该项目将通过以下方式支持不断发展的先进制造业的机电技术人员培训：1)增强学生的课程内容和技术经验；2)为技术人员教育工作者提供全面的职业发展；3)发展教育途径，支持从中学到大学的招生、留住和完成学业。新的设备和修订的课程将加强学生从职业学习证书到副学士学位和进入劳动力市场的职业道路。教师将在直接影响技术人员教育的领域获得专业发展，方法是提供必要的培训，以便对购买的培训设备进行认证测试。行业雇主将以综合咨询的角色与该项目及其学生接触。中学生和大学生将参与协作学习机会，以吸引新的人才，并通过夏令营机会和联合基于问题的学习项目来维持机电一体化技术人员管道。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注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。

The Central Workforce Region of Virginia is experiencing a shortage of adequately trained manufacturing technicians due to the growing demand for workers coupled with growing rate of retirements. This region is also exceptional in that local manufacturers employ Rockwell Automation-based systems at a higher rate than nearby regions. Through this project, Central Virginia Community College (CVCC) will increase the rigor and competencies of manufacturing technician education in mechatronics with an emphasis on programmable logic controllers (PLCs). This project will focus on augmenting the Mechatronics AAS degree program at CVCC with Rockwell Automation PLC Maintainer Certifications. These certifications are industry recognized and valued by employers. Through targeted outreach, the mechatronics program will work closely with regional secondary school systems and local advanced manufacturing industries to provide middle-school students with the opportunity to directly experience mechatronics and advanced manufacturing. This will build a pipeline to the college to develop and train the workers needed to sustain and grow the sector.This project will support mechatronics technician training for the growing advanced manufacturing industry by 1) enhancing course content and technical experiences for students, 2) providing comprehensive professional development for technician educators, and 3) developing educational pathways to support student recruitment, retention, and completion from middle school to college. New equipment and revised courses will strengthen the students' career pathway from the career studies certificate to the associate degree and into the workforce. Faculty will receive professional development in areas that directly impact technician education by providing the training necessary to offer certification testing on the purchased training equipment. Industry employers will engage with the program and its students in an integrated advisory role. Middle school students and college students will be engaged in collaborative learning opportunities to attract new talent and sustain the mechatronics technician pipeline through summer camp opportunities and joint problem-based learning projects. 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.