Distance Education and Learning In Vacuum technology for Employment Readiness (DELIVER)

几乎所有使消费者、工业和国防受益的现代技术都依赖于真空和薄膜技术。依赖真空技术的工程系统的例子包括手机上的触摸屏、医疗设备上的涂层和净水部件。尽管它在应用中是一项重要的“使能”技术，但它也经常被隐藏起来。真空系统和维护它们的技术人员在行业外几乎仍然鲜为人知。随着现有劳动力的老龄化和依赖真空技术的企业数量的增加，我们国家面临着严重缺乏技术人员来维护我们都依赖的复杂真空系统。该项目将通过开发“重点跟踪”证书来应对这一挑战，以培训真空技术人员以满足劳动力需求。该真空技术证书将由明尼苏达州布鲁明顿市的诺曼代尔社区学院提供，该学院是明尼苏达州州立学院和大学系统的一部分。真空技术证书可以在一年内完成，并将服务于以下受众：(A)希望在该领域发展的入门级工人，(B)相关行业(汽车、冶金)需要再培训的工人，(C)具有相关经验的退伍军人进入新的职业生涯，以及(D)在继续教育之前寻求工作经验的高中生。为了确保真空技术证书可以广泛获得，项目团队将混合使用远程学习技术，并广泛传播该计划。该项目的主要活动包括：(A)面授和在线授课的课程开发；(B)实验室实践开发；(C)教育工作者的专业开发；(D)传播。更具体地说，将开发三门新课程：(1)面向任何人探索基本真空技术概念和职业的电子学习课程；(2)面向在校生在学习技术人员日常使用的化学、数学和物理概念的同时获得学分的在线课程；以及(3)面向证书计划的真空和薄膜技术高级课程。三门课程的核心课程将在校园内提供，并通过使用高速视听连接的网真实时连接学生和教师。培训员系统的使用还将使学生能够对工作现场使用的工艺和设备进行实践练习。最后，通过强有力的宣传，将建立一个具有行业经验的教师网络，并支持他们成为下一代真空技术人员的教师。

Almost all modern technologies that benefit consumers, industry, and the national defense depend on vacuum and thin film technology. Examples of engineered systems that depend on vacuum technology include the touchscreens on phones, coatings on medical devices, and water purification components. Although a significant and "enabling" technology in its applications, it is also often hidden. Vacuum systems, and the technicians who maintain them, remain virtually unknown outside of the industry. As the existing workforce ages and the number of businesses relying on vacuum technology increases, our nation faces a critical shortage of technicians to maintain the complex vacuum systems that we are all dependent on. This project will respond to this challenge by developing a "focused track" credential to educate vacuum technicians to meet workforce needs. This Vacuum Technology Certificate will be offered by Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota, an accredited institution that is part of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The Vacuum Technology Certificate can be completed in one year and will serve the following audiences: (a) entry-level workers already in the field who want to advance their careers, (b) workers in related industries (automotive, metallurgy) who need to retrain, (c) veterans with related experience moving into a new career, and (d) high school students who seek work experience prior to continuing their education. To ensure that the Vacuum Technology Certificate is broadly accessible, the project team will use a blend of distance learning technologies and disseminate the program widely. Key activities of the project include: (a) curricular development for both face-to-face and online course delivery, (b) hands-on laboratory development, (c) professional development for educators, and (d) dissemination. More specifically, three new courses will be developed: (1) an e-learning course for anyone to explore basic vacuum technology concepts and careers, (2) an online course for current students to earn credit while learning chemistry, math, and physics concepts used every day by technicians, and (3) an advanced course in vacuum and thin film technology for the certificate program. The three-course core curriculum will be offered on campus and via telepresence using high speed audiovisual connection linking students and instructors in real time. The use of trainer systems will also enable students to gain hands-on practice with the processes and equipment used on job sites. Lastly, with strong dissemination, a network of instructors with industry experience will be established and be supported to become teachers to the next generation of vacuum technicians.