Educating Robot Maintenance and Repair Technicians to Address Workforce Gaps in Automation and Skilled Trades

由于技术进步增加了对自动化维护技术工人的需求，当地社区大学必须教育和提高技术人员的技能，以保持当地工业的生产力和竞争力。该项目将升级蒙特卡姆社区学院的自动化项目，包括机器人维护和维修。机器人维护和维修技术人员需要维护、纠正和维修机器人的技能，以便自动化操作能够高效、安全地运行。在很多情况下，当一个机器人出现故障时，它需要一个人来纠正它的程序并修复任何损坏。人类技术人员排除和解决机器人操作错误的能力使制造过程顺利进行。该项目将招募新的高中毕业生和在职工人进入机器人维修和维护领域。它将为这些未来的技术人员提供实践学习经验，以建立机器人维护和维修所需的知识和技能。将提供专业发展，使现有的技术行业教师能够学习使用新设备，并获得相关的行业认证证书或证书。通过与当地工业的互动，学院将帮助雇主寻找或培训工人，以满足他们对机器人维护和维修的需求。该项目包括安装在拖车中的移动先进技术学习设施。该拖车可以部署在遥远的地方，使学院能够满足雇主的机器人维护/维修培训需求，将课堂带到工作场所。随着机器人技术和自动化的发展，项目结果和可交付成果将被广泛分享，因此成功的实践可以被采用，以满足对自动化维护人员日益增长的需求。该项目旨在开发最先进的机器人维护和维修课程，以满足当地企业的需求，并为学生提供从高中到熟练技术劳动力的途径。该项目将建立从入门级到高级级的课程，使自动化维护工作所需的教育有多个切入点。为了实现这些目标，该项目将教育和提高教师的技能，教授机器人的维护和维修。为了更好地服务在职员工，课程将在一个可部署在工作场所的移动先进技术学习设施中提供。此外，移动学习设施还将用于在当地劳动力发展办公室和成人教育学校举办涉及机器人的实践活动，预计将吸引约200名成年人参与。移动学习设施还将用于学校和其他场所的外展活动，让学生参与机器人维修/维护活动，并说明自动化和制造业职业生涯的回报。预计这项推广工作将惠及多达800名高中生，并增加自动化课程的入学率。因此，该项目有可能增加自动化维护和相关产业工人的数量，这些工人可以填补当地目前100多个空缺。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。

As technological advances increase the demand for skilled workers in automation maintenance, local community colleges must educate and up-skill the technicians needed to keep local industries productive and competitive. This project will upgrade the automation program at Montcalm Community College to include robot maintenance and repair. Robot maintenance and repair technicians need the skills to maintain, correct, and repair robots so that automation operations can run efficiently and safely. In many cases, when a robot faults, it needs a human to correct its program and repair any damage. The ability of human technicians to troubleshoot and solve operation errors in robots keeps manufacturing processes running smoothly. The project will recruit new high school graduates and incumbent workers into the robot repair and maintenance field. It will provide these future technicians with hands-on learning experiences that build both the knowledge and skills that are needed for robot maintenance and repair. Professional development will be provided to enable current skilled trades faculty to learn to use new equipment and to earn relevant industry-validated credentials or certifications. Through interactions with local industry, the College will help employers find or educate workers to meet their robot maintenance and repair needs. The project includes a mobile advanced technology learning facility that is housed in a trailer. The trailer can be deployed at distant locations, enabling the College to meet robot maintenance/repair training needs of employers by bringing the classroom to the workplace. Project results and deliverables will be shared widely so successful practices can be adopted to meet growing demands for automation maintenance workers as robotics and automation expands.This project aims to develop a state-of-the-art curriculum in robot maintenance and repair that addresses the needs of local businesses and provides students with a pathway from high school into the skilled technical workforce. The project will build curricula that span from entry level to advanced level, to enable multiple entry points into the education needed to work in automation maintenance. To accomplish these goals, the project will educate and up-skill faculty to teach robot maintenance and repair. To better serve incumbent workers, the curriculum will be deliverable in a mobile advanced technology learning facility that can be deployed at workplaces. In addition, the mobile learning facility will also be used to host hands-on activities involving robots at local workforce development offices and adult education schools, with the expectation of engaging about 200 adults. The mobile learning facility will also be used at outreach events at schools and other venues to engage students in robot repair/maintenance activities and illustrate the rewards of a career in automation and manufacturing. It is expected that the outreach efforts will reach as many as 800 high school students and generate increased enrollment in automation programs. As a result, the project has the potential to increase the number of automation maintenance and related industrial workers who are available to fill more than 100 current openings in the local area. 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.