Agriculture Mechanic Technicians: Meeting the Demands of Rural Washington's Agricultural Industry

农业机械技术人员：满足华盛顿农村农业产业的需求

• 批准号: 1902610
• 负责人: Daneen Berry-Guerin
• 金额: $ 29.98万
• 依托单位: Big Bend Community College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-07-15 至 2022-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1902610&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Agriculture; Mechanic; Technicians; Meeting; Demands

This project aims to serve the national interest in educating a skilled technical workforce in agricultural industries. In response to local and regional demands, Big Bend Community College will develop a curriculum that allows students to earn a certificate or a degree in Agricultural Mechanics. Agricultural equipment has increased in size and value, as well as become more technologically complicated. Precision agriculture hardware and capabilities are now standard features on most agriculture equipment. This equipment requires service and maintenance from skilled technicians with both mechanical and technological skills. This project will develop a new curriculum that begins with basic shop competencies and culminates in a projects that requires students to combine multiple skills in mechanics, fabrication, and precision technology. The College will house this new program in the new Workforce Education Center, which includes a 5,000 square foot Agriculture Mechanics Laboratory. This project will serve Big Bend Community College's students, the agriculture workforce, and the agriculture industry with the training and skills needed in agricultural mechanics.The goals for this project include: 1) developing an Agricultural Mechanics program that produces workforce-ready agriculture mechanic technicians; 2) developing educational pathways from local high school agriculture programs to the College's Agriculture Mechanics program; 3) supporting the teaching and learning of workplace competencies and skills; and 4) building program enrollment through outreach and dissemination. Today's agricultural mechanic technicians need to know more than how to turn a wrench and work on large pieces of equipment. Modern agricultural equipment now includes global positioning systems, mapping, and variable rate application and seeding capabilities. These "precision capabilities" are leading to efficiencies, cost savings, and reduced environmental impacts in agriculture. Adoption of precision agriculture results in decreased inputs and higher quality outputs. The agriculture industry has a long-term demand for agricultural mechanic technicians who have both mechanical skills and technological knowledge. This well-trained workforce is essential to support sustained advances in agricultural mechanization and precision practices. As a result, this project has the potential to provide career opportunities for students in the service district and the region, especially place-bound students. In addition, it can provide students a pathway for improving their personal quality of life while providing the workforce needed in the region's largest 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.

该项目旨在为国家利益服务，在农业产业中培养熟练的技术劳动力。 为了满足当地和地区的需求，大弯社区学院将开发一个课程，让学生获得农业机械证书或学位。农业设备的尺寸和价值都增加了，技术上也更加复杂。精准农业硬件和功能现在是大多数农业设备的标准功能。该设备需要具有机械和技术技能的熟练技术人员进行维修和维护。该项目将开发一个新的课程，从基本的车间能力开始，并在一个项目，要求学生结合联合收割机在机械，制造和精密技术的多种技能达到高潮。该学院将在新的劳动力教育中心，其中包括一个5,000平方英尺的农业机械实验室这个新的程序。该项目将为大弯社区学院的学生、农业劳动力和农业行业提供农业机械方面的培训和技能。该项目的目标包括：1）开发农业机械课程，培养劳动力准备好的农业机械技术人员; 2）开发从当地高中农业课程到学院农业机械课程的教育途径; 3）支持工作场所能力和技能的教学和学习; 4）通过推广和传播建立计划注册。今天的农业机械技术人员需要知道的不仅仅是如何转动扳手和在大型设备上工作。现代农业设备现在包括全球定位系统、测绘、变量施肥和播种能力。 这些“精确能力”正在提高效率，节省成本，并减少农业对环境的影响。采用精准农业可减少投入，提高产出质量。农业行业对既有机械技能又有技术知识的农业机械技术人员有着长期的需求。 这支训练有素的劳动力队伍对于支持农业机械化和精准作业的持续发展至关重要。因此，该项目有可能为服务区和区域的学生，特别是地方学生提供就业机会。此外，它可以为学生提供一条提高个人生活质量的途径，同时为该地区最大的行业提供所需的劳动力。 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NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。