Creating Technician Pathways in Mechatronics for the Industry 4.0 Workforce

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Industry 4.0 technologies are transforming manufacturing facilities into smart factories that use digital technologies, advanced sensors and controls, and robotics to increase automation and improve manufacturing processes. Technicians who understand how to implement and maintain these technologies are needed to support this transformation. Students in technician degree programs need to learn new multidisciplinary skills at the intersection of electrical, mechanical, logistics, and data systems. This project will address this need by working with industry to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities that students will need to be successful in the Industry 4.0 technician workforce. Using these results, the project team will create a set of courses for a new mechatronics Associate of Applied Science degree program and a set of certificate programs that students can earn as they complete courses. Technician education will include classroom instruction, hands-on training in the labs, industry internships, and apprenticeships. High school students will have the opportunity to earn certificates through dual enrollment agreements with rural secondary schools. This project will help increase the supply of technicians with Industry 4.0 skills to meet the growing demand of rural manufacturers in the region.The goal of this project is to create academic pathways to train students on Industry 4.0 technologies that are used in the automotive, industrial maintenance, contract manufacturing, and logistics sectors. The project will establish a Business Industry Leadership Team to prioritize industry programmatic content, identify program implementation strategies, implement work-based learning activities, and identify and recruit faculty with industry expertise. A mechatronics Associate in Applied Science Degree, stackable certificates, and industry credentials will be developed by revising existing courses and creating new courses. New lab equipment will provide students with hands-on training on different types of electronic sensors, electrical motors, pneumatic actuators, and mechanical power transmission components. This training will help students earn an industry credential in mechatronics. The project team will offer career awareness activities for rural high school students and establish dual enrollment programs with local high schools. The impact of the project on student recruitment, retention, and program completion will be assessed based on institutional data. 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.