Center for Aviation and Automotive Technological Education Using Virtual E-School [CA2VES]: A Resource to Meet Technician Workforce Needs

南卡罗来纳州（SC）正在迅速扩展到航空，汽车和先进制造业，区域雇主越来越需要受过良好教育的技术人员，他们熟悉新一代制造业工作的专业要求。使用虚拟电子学校的航空和汽车技术教育中心（CA 2 VES）和该州的两年制机构正在创造机会，以改善技术人员和STEM教育，并为大量不同的SC学生增加劳动力准备。CA 2 VES汇集了全球和区域的行业和教育合作伙伴，以开发和传播数字学习工具（DLT），如数字课程，电子学习，模拟和虚拟现实（VR）模块。DLT已经让学生对时间、地点、路径和节奏有了更大的学术控制权，并为学生提供了该地区迅速发展的汽车和航空航天工业所需的技能。CA 2 VES团队将继续与行业和雇主合作，领导DLT的设计和开发，并与Co-PI（佛罗伦萨-达林顿技术学院，格林维尔技术学院，斯帕坦堡社区学院和SCATE中心）和其他ATE中心合作，以评估DLT在技术人员教育计划中的有效性。 CA 2 VES和合作伙伴将设计和执行招聘活动，以吸引和吸引服务不足的人群（特别是妇女，少数民族和农村地区的学生）。CA 2 VES还将与两年制机构和高中合作，定制和模块化DLT，现场测试新模块，并进行持续研究，评估其他人如何复制和使用CA 2 VES DLT。该小组将评估其在教学创新、技术一体化和劳动力发展等领域的工作是否提高了教学效果。此外，该中心将为技术人员教育提供VR开发方面的严格循证研究，并成为可持续的资源。

South Carolina (SC) is rapidly expanding into aviation, automotive, and advanced manufacturing, and regional employers are increasingly in need of well-educated technicians who are familiar with the specialized demands of a new generation of manufacturing jobs. The Center for Aviation and Automotive Technological Education Using Virtual E-Schools (CA2VES) and the state's 2-year institutions are creating opportunities to improve technician and STEM education and increase workforce preparedness for a large and diverse population of SC students. CA2VES brings together global and regional industry and educational partners to develop and disseminate such Digital Learning Tools (DLTs) as digital curricula, e-learning, simulations and virtual reality (VR) modules. DLTs have already given students greater academic control over time, place, path and pace, and provided students with the skills required by the rapidly expanding automotive and aerospace industries in the region. The CA2VES team will continue to lead the design and development of DLTs working with industries and employers, and collaborate with Co-PIs (Florence-Darlington Technical College, Greenville Technical College, Spartanburg Community College and the SCATE Center) and additional ATE Centers to evaluate the effectiveness of DLTs in technician education programs. CA2VES and partners will design and execute recruitment campaigns to attract and engage underserved populations (specifically women, minorities and students from rural areas). CA2VES will also partner with 2-year institutions and high schools to customize and modularize DLTs, field test new modules and conduct ongoing research evaluating how others replicate and use CA2VES DLTs. The team will assess the improved pedagogical effectiveness of its work in the areas of innovations in teaching and learning, technology integration and workforce development. Additionally, the Center will provide rigorous evidence-based research in VR development for technician education and become a sustainable resource.