Building a Pipeline of Biodiesel Technicians for Careers in Fields and Cities

该项目将在汽车技术应用技术副学士学位中发展柴油/生物柴油证书课程。该轨道旨在解决柴油技术人员的区域需求，他们拥有支持当前和新兴农业和城市应用所需的专业技术技能。伊利诺伊州和全国各地的雇主都迫切需要熟练的柴油机械师，而且对能够规划、设计、建造和维修运输系统和节能车辆的劳动力的需求也在不断增长。该项目将通过实施战略，以农村和城市学校为重点，为代表性不足和服务不足的学生提供服务，从而提高学生对下一代柴油技师职业的兴趣。通过为学生在高增长技术领域的职业生涯做好准备，该项目有可能推进创新方法，以满足国家不断变化的就业需求。该项目将为在农村技术人员教育中使用学习型社区的有效做法提供证据。推广和招募工作将复制其他在吸引代表性不足的学生方面取得成功的ATE项目的成功努力。结果将在整个伊利诺伊州和ATE社区传播。该项目支持ATE将重点放在与需求职业相匹配的农村技术人员教育上。该项目的目标是开发下一代柴油/生物柴油技术职业的途径，主要重点是提供有技能的劳动力，以填补农村和城市部门的工作岗位。该项目的目标是：1)实施具有可堆叠证书的新的柴油/生物柴油技术路径计划；2)培训中学和大专教师招收学生，实施课程和教学，与行业合作，支持农村和城市学生在技术教育和职业生涯中取得成功；3)加强与农村和城市柴油技术雇主的合作，扩大学生的就业机会，满足当地和地区的劳动力需求。该项目将通过为中学教育工作者提供专业发展和定制技能培训模块、强调双招生课程、利用合作伙伴关系为学生提供21世纪基于工作的学习，并使课程与行业标准保持一致，从而提高学生的学习成绩。该项目旨在提供以下可交付成果：统一的课程、新课程和柴油/生物柴油技术证书、可叠加的大学学位证书、以工作为基础的学习，以及旨在吸引代表性不足的学生的招聘和推广材料。毕业生将准备好与行业合作伙伴一起工作，从而为国家的熟练技术劳动力做出贡献。项目材料和成果将通过全州和全国会议广泛分享和传播。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。

This project will develop a diesel/biodiesel certificate track in the Associate of Applied Technologies in Automotive Technology degree. This track is intended to address regional needs for diesel technicians who have the specialized technical skills needed to support current and emerging agricultural and urban applications. Employers across Illinois and the country have an urgent need for skilled diesel mechanics and there is a growing need for a workforce that can plan, design, build, and repair transportation systems and energy-efficient vehicles. The project will increase student interest in next-generation diesel technician careers by implementing strategies to serve underrepresented and underserved students with a dual focus on rural and urban schools. By preparing students for careers in high-growth technical fields, the project has the potential to advance innovative methods for meeting the nation's changing employment needs. This project will generate evidence regarding effective practices for using learning communities in rural technician education. Outreach and recruiting efforts will replicate successful efforts from other ATE projects that have been successful in engaging underrepresented students. Results will be disseminated throughout Illinois and to the ATE community. The project supports ATE’s focus on rural technician education aligned with in-demand careers. The goal of the project is to develop pathways to next-generation diesel/biodiesel technologies careers with a primary focus on providing a skilled workforce equipped to fill jobs in rural and urban sectors. The objectives of the project are: 1) implement a new diesel/biodiesel technology pathway program with stackable credentials; 2) train secondary and post-secondary faculty to recruit students, implement curriculum and instruction, collaborate with industry, and support rural and urban student success in technician education and careers; and 3) increase partnerships with rural and urban diesel technology employers to expand career opportunities for students and meet local and regional workforce needs. The project will improve student outcomes by providing secondary school educators with professional development and customized skill-training modules, emphasizing dual-enrollment courses, leveraging partnerships to provide students with 21st century work-based learning, and aligning curricula with industry standards. The project intends to produce these deliverables: aligned curriculum, new courses and a certificate in diesel/biodiesel technology, stackable credentials leading to college degrees, work-based learning, and recruitment and outreach collateral designed to engage underrepresented students. Graduates will be ready for work with industry partners, thus contributing to the nation's skilled technical workforce. Project materials and results will be widely shared and disseminated through statewide and national meetings. 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.