Advancing Education in Production Technology

随着先进制造业取代传统制造业，以及国内制造商加深对先进技术的投资，对制造业岗位的技能要求不断提高，而填补这些岗位的熟练工人短缺正处于危机关头。制造业作为阿拉巴马州的一个主要产业的出现，为训练有素的生产经理和技术人员创造了许多就业机会；然而，寻找有技能和训练有素的工人来填补空缺职位是许多公司创新和发展的主要障碍。由于阿拉巴马州被认为是一个工人严重短缺的州，熟练的生产劳动力供不应求，阿拉巴马州的制造商和其他行业合作伙伴正面临着与社区大学合作开发满足他们需求的课程的挑战。杰弗逊州立社区学院的这一项目以学院现有项目的成功经验和经过验证的解决方案为基础，将通过开发新的制造系统技术学位课程，改善技术人员的教育，并增加区域目标制造技术领域高技能工人的数量。制造商和行业合作伙伴将参与其中，以便学院能够确保区域行业拥有劳动力，使他们能够在全球竞争环境中取得成功。该项目将利用该学院作为阿拉巴马州汽车制造区域中心联盟（CARCAM）的合作伙伴所做的工作，以及佛罗里达州和南卡罗来纳州的其他制造卓越中心，以及南卡罗来纳州斯帕坦堡社区学院使用的生产助理技术课程。具体而言，该项目将通过开发新的学位和证书选项并通过评估其有效性，增加制造公司生产部门的技术领域的熟练工人数量，而不是这些公司的维修/工程部门。为了实现这一目标，学院将与行业成员和其他关键利益相关者合作，在大伯明翰地区培养更高技能的劳动力，因为学院与当地行业合作创建这个新项目，以支持新兴技术制造公司的需求。课程将由这些组织的专家就其在满足学习目标方面的有效性进行验证。新课程将允许未来通过双注册双学分计划向合作高中扩展，从而创造新的教育途径，改善中学和大学之间的衔接。项目人员将调查将国家认可的行业认证，如由制造技能标准委员会管理的认证生产技术员认证纳入最终课程。该项目旨在提高代表性不足的少数民族，特别是妇女在科学、技术和工程（STEM）教育中的参与度。项目人员还将与阿拉巴马州工业发展培训中心（Alabama Industrial Development Training）和阿拉巴马州技术网络（Alabama Technology Network）合作，阿拉巴马州工业发展培训中心是为初创公司提供教育的行业领导者，阿拉巴马州技术网络致力于满足阿拉巴马州公司的持续教育需求。

As advanced manufacturing supersedes traditional manufacturing, and domestic manufacturers deepen their investment in advanced technologies, the skill requirements for manufacturing jobs are rising, and the shortage of skilled workers to fill these jobs is at a crisis point. The emergence of manufacturing as a major industry in Alabama is creating numerous career opportunities for trained production managers and technicians; however, finding skilled and trained workers to fill open positions is a major barrier to innovation and growth for many companies. Because Alabama has been identified as a state with a significant worker shortage and a skilled production workforce is in short supply, manufacturers and other industry partners in Alabama are being challenged to collaborate with community colleges to develop curriculums that meet their needs. By building on the successes of existing program options at the college and proven solutions, this project at Jefferson State Community College will improve technician education and increase the number of highly skilled workers in regionally targeted manufacturing technology areas through the development of a new Manufacturing Systems Technology degree option. Manufacturers and industry partners will be involved so that the college can ensure that regional industries have the workforce that will allow them to succeed in a globally competitive environment. The project will leverage the work performed by the college as a partner in the Consortium for Alabama Regional Center for Automotive Manufacturing (CARCAM) as well as other ATE Centers of Excellence in manufacturing in Florida and South Carolina and the Production Associate Technology curriculum used at Spartanburg Community College in South Carolina. Specifically, the project will increase the number of skilled workers in technology areas unique to the production department of manufacturing companies rather than to the maintenance/engineering departments in these companies by development of the new degree and certificate option and through evaluation of their effectiveness. To accomplish this goal, the college will partner with industry members and other critical stakeholders in the development of a more highly skilled workforce in the Greater Birmingham Region as the college works with local industry to create this new program to support needs of manufacturing companies in emerging technologies. The curriculum will be validated by experts from these organizations in terms of its effectiveness in meeting learning goals. The new curriculum will allow for future extension for delivery via dual enrollment-dual credit programs to partner high schools and thereby will create new educational pathways and improve articulation between secondary schools and the college. Project personnel will investigate the incorporation of nationally recognized industry certifications such as the Certified Production Technician certification administered by the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council into the resulting curriculum. The project will be designed to increase the participation of underrepresented minorities, particularly women, in science, technology, and engineering (STEM) education. Project personnel will also work with Alabama Industrial Development Training, an industry leader in education for start-up companies, and the Alabama Technology Network, which addresses the ongoing education needs of companies in Alabama.