NSF 22-059 DCL (Ocean Technical Workforce Education) Building an Ocean Technology Workforce Utilizing Microcredentials

海洋产业多个部门（研究、可再生能源、渔业、港口/航运、基础设施、国家安全、旅游业等）对技术熟练工人的需求正在增长，但目前美国的学术体系并不具备培养学生所需技能的条件。海洋技术协会（MTS）的这一奖项支持劳动力准备工作，该工作将开发一系列可堆叠的微证书，并为学习和职业培训创造方便灵活的途径。微型证书将涉及在海洋/海洋/蓝色经济中就业所需的核心能力，并涵盖进入劳动力市场的学习者或那些寻求应用在服兵役期间获得的技能的人。证书将承认“在职”获得的技能，并将作为就业再培训的工具。多边贸易体制的成员代表若干部门（工业，政府，军事和学术界），以及社会成员的集体经验，与罗格斯大学海洋和海岸科学系和西北密歇根大学的学术教师合作，将确定海洋/海洋/蓝色经济就业所需的核心能力，创建微证书培训计划，视频实践培训活动，在线提供课程，并创建“标记”系统。 MTS微证书计划将允许学习者定制他们的教育路径，以获得他们特定职业抱负所需的证书。微型证书材料将在学生群体中进行试点测试，评估和最终材料将在网上提供。 课程将在罗格斯大学和西北密歇根大学为学生提供的为期一周的沉浸式技术营地中开发和测试。两个营地的实践活动和介绍将被拍摄下来，供在线分发。该团队将创建总共六个证书，包括1）水下滑翔机; 2）遥控潜水器（ROV）; 3）声纳;和4）甲板操作的基本证书，以及两个更高级的微型证书：5）水下滑翔机，和6）声纳。该计划将为40名本科生提供技术培训和导师。这些经验将为海洋技术领域提供有益的介绍，并为潜在的就业机会打开大门。它将参与军方的过渡援助计划（TAP）计划和海军陆战队海事学院。该项目将支持NSF增加海洋科学劳动力多样性的目标。如果成功，该项目将为海洋技术劳动力提供可扩展的微认证计划。该计划还将与雇主一起推广，以确保微证书系统为就业打开大门，并最终自我维持。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。

Demand is growing for technically skilled workers across multiple sectors within the marine industry (research, renewable energy, fisheries, ports/shipping, infrastructure, national security, tourism, etc.), but the current US academic system is not well equipped to educate students with the required skills. This award to the Marine Technology Society (MTS) supports a workforce preparation effort that will develop a series of stackable micro-credentials and create accessible and flexible pathways to learning and vocational training. The micro-credentials will address core competencies required for employment in the ocean/marine/blue economy and capture learners entering the workforce or those seeking to apply skill sets acquired during military service. The credentials will offer acknowledgement of skills acquired “on the job” and will function as a vehicle for employment retraining. Members of the MTS represent several sectors (industry, government, military, and academia), and the collective experience within the Society membership, in partnership with academic faculty from the Rutgers University Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences and from Northwestern Michigan College, will identify core competencies required for employment in the ocean/marine/blue economy, create a micro-credential training program, video hands-on training activities, make the curriculum available on-line, and create a "badging" system. The MTS Micro-credentials Program will allow learners to customize their education path to gain the credentials necessary for their specific career aspirations. The Micro-credential material will be pilot tested with groups of students, evaluated and final materials will be available on line. Curriculum will be developed and tested during one-week immersive technology camps offered to students at Rutgers and Northwestern Michigan College. The hands-on activities and presentations at both camps will be filmed for online distribution. The team will create a total of six credentials, including basic credentials in 1) Underwater Gliders; 2) Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs); 3) Sonar; and 4) Deck Operations, and two more advanced micro-credentials in: 5) Underwater Gliders, and 6) Sonar. This program will provide a total of forty undergraduates with technical training and access to mentors. The experience will provide a useful introduction to marine technology fields and open doors to potential employment. It will engage with the military's Transition Assistance Programs (TAP) program and the Marine Maritime Academies. The project will support NSF's goals of increasing the diversity of the ocean science workforce. If successful, the project will result in an expandable micro-credentialing program for the marine technical workforce. The program will also be promoted with employers to ensure that the Micro-credential system opens doors to employment and is eventually self-sustaining.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.