National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing

最近的研究表明，美国对先进制造业熟练劳动力的需求日益增长。例如，德勤（Deloitte）和制造业研究所（Manufacturing Institute） 2018年的一项研究得出结论，在未来十年，美国将需要填补460多万个制造业岗位。该研究进一步预测，由于潜在工人的技能差距，这些工作中有一半以上将无人填补。凭借这一奖项，Tunxis社区学院将与来自工业、商业协会、专业组织、政府机构和教育工作者的合作伙伴共同开发国家下一代制造中心，这将帮助国家满足其先进制造业劳动力的需求。该中心将根据工业4.0的组织架构，包括下一代制造子行业的技术团队，如设计、制造、加工、供应链、物流和质量控制。此外，该中心还将包括下一代制造应用，如网络安全、生物制造和资源高效制造。该中心将由其他先进技术教育中心和项目的国家领导人以及国家公平协会（如国家公平伙伴关系协会）指导。通过这一指导方针，该中心旨在确定在下一代制造业劳动力中从代表性不足的社区招聘和留住人才的成功战略。国家下一代制造中心有四个目标：1)加强和巩固教育工作者、企业、工业、政府、军队、行业协会和经济发展机构之间的关系和沟通，扩大和加强培养合格的先进制造技术人员的努力；2)实施一个教育材料库，整合行业驱动的能力，以支持工业4.0和新兴的学习技术，包括使用开放教育资源和在线方法；3)支持教育工作者的专业发展机会，以实施有前途的实践，以解决当前和未来的下一代制造技术能力；4)通过区域拓展、招聘、指导和传播活动，支持多元化的技术人员队伍。计划详细的活动来支持每个目标，包括：教育工作者的专业发展，以确保开发的资源得到有效利用；指导支持教育和行业合作伙伴关系，如全国认可的商业和行业领导团队模式；与制造业扩展伙伴关系和美国制造业研究所一起启动项目；推行和试行中心教育工作者的学徒模式；加强高中、社区学院、四年制大学和工业界之间的职业途径，办法是确定工业界认可的证书，并传播成功的教育模式，其中包括证书和学位完成的多个进入和退出点；探索和分享新兴趋势，如工作的未来，以指导教育工作者设计行业驱动的课程；通过网络研讨会、播客和专业发展研讨会，解决自动化、物联网和网络安全对下一代制造业的影响。该中心的活动预计将创建一个灵活、支持创新、培养21世纪先进制造业劳动力的全国性实践社区，以使企业具有全球竞争力。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。

Recent studies have highlighted the nation's increasing need for a skilled workforce in advanced manufacturing. For example, a 2018 study by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute concluded that over the next decade, the U.S. will need to fill more than 4.6 million manufacturing jobs. The study further predicts that more than half of these jobs will go unfilled due to gaps in the skills of potential workers. With this award, Tunxis Community College will work with partners from industry, business associations, professional organizations, government agencies, and educators to develop the National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing, which will help the nation meet its advanced manufacturing workforce needs. The Center will be organized according to Industry 4.0 and will include Technology Teams for next generation manufacturing sub-sectors, such as Design, Fabrication, Processing, Supply Chain, Logistics, and Quality Control. In addition, the Center will include next generation manufacturing applications, such as cybersecurity, biomanufacturing, and resource-efficient manufacturing. The Center will be guided by national leaders from other Advanced Technological Education Centers and projects, as well as by national equity associations, such as the National Association for Partnerships in Equity. Through this guidance, the Center aims to identify successful strategies for recruiting and retaining people from underrepresented communities in the next generation manufacturing workforce.The National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing has four goals: 1) Enhance and solidify relationships and communication among educators, businesses, industry, government, military, trade associations, and economic development agencies to broaden and strengthen efforts to prepare qualified advanced manufacturing technicians; 2) Implement a repository of educational materials that integrates industry-driven competencies needed to support Industry 4.0 and emerging learning technologies including the use of Open Educational Resources and online methodologies; 3) Support professional development opportunities for educators to implement promising practices to address current and future next generation manufacturing technology competencies; and 4) Support a diverse technician workforce through regional outreach, recruitment, mentoring, and dissemination initiatives. Detailed activities are planned to support each goal, including: professional development of educators to ensure that the developed resources are used effectively; mentoring to support education and industry partnerships such as the nationally recognized Business & Industry Leadership Team model; initiating projects with Manufacturing Extension Partnerships and Manufacturing USA Institutes; pursuing and piloting apprenticeship models by the Center’s educators; strengthening career pathways between high schools, community colleges, four-year universities and industry by identification of industry-recognized credentials and disseminating successful educational models that include multiple entry and exit points for both certificate and degree completion; exploring and sharing emerging trends such as the Future of Work to guide educators as they design industry-driven curriculum; and addressing the impact of automation, the Internet of Things, and cybersecurity in next generation manufacturing through webinars, podcasts and professional development workshops. Center activities are expected to create a national Community of Practice that is agile, supports innovation, and educates the 21st century advanced manufacturing workforce needed for companies to be globally competitive. 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.