Boosting New Careers in Advanced Manufacturing Industries

由于美国的先进制造业继续快速发展，因此需要高技能的技术人员来操作和维护这些现代制造设施。特别是，德克萨斯州(德克萨斯州东北部俄克拉何马州地区)先进制造业的劳动力短缺严重到足以短路其自身的反弹和对当地经济增长的贡献。德克萨斯州格雷森学院的这个项目是在2015年受地区劳动力委员会和地区经济发展公司委托进行的一项研究之后发展起来的，该研究旨在确定可复制的最佳实践，为下一代员工为先进的制造业职业生涯做准备。它与由30名行业和教育成员组成的德克萨斯州制造业指导委员会合作，旨在通过实施新蓝学院来扩大熟练雇主的渠道，新蓝学院是一项全面的职业意识和先进技术教育计划，目标是德克萨斯州北部农村的双重招生高中生。在该项目期间，将通过促进德克萨斯地区9,200名高中生的技术职业来增强对中等技能工作的看法。它将通过开发行业设计的双学分ATE课程来促进ATE渠道，该课程在21所高中提供，允许学生同时启动他们的大学教育和职业生涯。成功的经验将通过会议和社交媒体资源与社区大学分享，如ATE会议、Mentor Connect、Hi-TEC和ATECentral.com。完成该计划后，学生将获得41个学分小时、基础和高级制造技术证书、经验实习和潜在的行业合作伙伴就业机会。将制定一项计划，激励雇主和学生完成剩余的19个小时，以获得先进制造技术的助理学士学位。目标是：1)改变对中等技能工作的看法，促进高中生、教师和家长的技术职业机会；2)设计和实施以行业为导向的课程，解决多个制造环境中的共同技术技能；以及3)与两个高中合作伙伴一起试点双学分新蓝色职业道路，从十年级开始，直到高中毕业后的那个夏天实习。课程材料将改编自两个由ATE资助的项目(佛罗里达州高级技术教育中心和密歇根州360度制造和应用工程卓越中心)，以及德克萨斯州劳动力教育课程手册中州批准课程的数据库中提供的材料。现有的制造活动将被扩大，以在高中教师、辅导员和家长中促进ATE职业意识活动。设立的指导委员会将确保对将要实施的一系列要素不断提供投入。评估将由一名经验丰富的外部评估员指导，他将：1)对照现有ATE模型实现的基准，检查项目的成功；2)分析认识和招聘努力的影响；3)衡量学生的成功，因为它与完成、能力和就业能力有关。

Because advanced manufacturing in the United States continues to evolve rapidly, highly skilled technicians are needed to operate and maintain these modern manufacturing facilities. In particular, the Texoma (northeast Texas Oklahoma area) worker shortage in the advanced manufacturing sector is severe enough to short-circuit both its own rebound and its contributions to local economic growth. This project at Grayson College in Texas evolved following a 2015 study commissioned by the regional workforce board and area economic development corporations that was designed to identify best practices which could be replicated to prepare the next generation of employees for advanced manufacturing careers. In collaboration with the Texoma Manufacturing Steering Committee, which is comprised of 30 industry and educational members, it is designed to expand the pipeline of skilled employers by implementing the New Blue Academy, a comprehensive career awareness and advanced technological education initiative targeting dual enrollment high school students in rural north Texas. During this project, perceptions of middle-skill jobs will be enhanced through the promotion of technical careers among 9,200 high school students in the Texoma area. It will boost the ATE pipeline by developing an industry-designed dual-credit ATE curriculum offered in 21 high schools that will permit students to simultaneously jump-start their college education and a career. Successes will be shared with community colleges through conferences and social media sources, such as the ATE Conference, Mentor Connect, Hi-TEC, and ATECentral.com. Upon completion of the program a student will receive 41 college credit hours, a Basic and an Advanced Manufacturing Technology Certificate, an experiential internship, and potential employment with an industry partner. A plan to incentivize employers and students to complete the remaining 19 hours for an A.A.S. Degree in Advanced Manufacturing Technologies will be developed. Objectives are to: 1) change perceptions of middle-skill jobs and promote technical career opportunities among high school students, teachers, and parents; 2) design and implement an industry-driven curriculum that addresses common technical skills across multiple manufacturing environments; and, 3) pilot the dual-credit New Blue Career Pathway with two high school partners, beginning in the tenth grade and culminating with an internship the summer following high school graduation. Curricular materials will be adapted from two ATE funded programs (the Florida Advanced Technological Education Center and the 360 Degree Manufacturing and Applied Engineering Center of Excellence in Michigan) as well as those available from the database of state approved courses in the Texas Workforce Education Course Manual. Existing manufacturing activities will be broadened to promote ATE career awareness events among high school instructors, counselors, and parents. The established steering committee will ensure ongoing input into the array of elements to be implemented. Evaluation will be guided by an experienced, external evaluator who will: 1) examine the success of the project in relation to benchmarks achieved by existing ATE models; 2) analyze the impact of awareness and recruitment efforts; and 3) measure student success as its relates to completion, competency, and employability.