Manufacturing the Future - Expanding Student Interest in Manufacturing Technology Careers

哥伦比亚盆地学院将开发一个制造技术项目，将学生从高中过渡到社区大学技术项目。对熟练制造技术人员的需求超过了供应，预计未来十年将有多达200万个制造业工作岗位空缺。该桥梁计划将为高中生提供夏季制造技术学院计划，并为中学教师和高中顾问提供制造技术专业发展研讨会。将开发一个工具包，用于在高中课堂上教授动手制造技术课程。获得实践学习和技能发展机会将通过打击围绕行业形象的负面刻板印象，提高学生追求制造业职业的兴趣，并提高STEM学科的自我效能，特别是对于女性和代表性不足的学生。哥伦比亚盆地学院将积极与当地一所专门从事职业技术教育的高中三技术技能中心合作。这些机构将与高中生联合试行制造业入门课程。在暑期学院期间，学生将获得多种体验式学习机会，包括带回家的产品的设计和制造、职业探索演示、实地考察以及与行业合作伙伴的实习。在成功完成学院学业后获得高中和大学学分的机会将激励学生，并为学生过渡到社区学院的制造技术课程提供具有成本效益的手段。这个机会将刺激不同的高中人口在哥伦比亚盆地学院服务区追求中学后制造技术教育，并随后追求制造技术的技术职业。所学到的知识将为学生进入中学后教育的有效做法和让农村学生接受高等教育的有效做法提供信息。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NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Columbia Basin College will develop a manufacturing technology program that bridges students from high school to community college technical programs. Demand for skilled manufacturing technicians is outpacing the supply and it is projected that up to two million manufacturing jobs will go unfilled in the coming decade. The bridge program will feature a summer Manufacturing Technology Academy program for high school students and a Manufacturing Technology Professional Development Workshop for secondary school teachers and high school advisors. A Tool Kit for teaching hands-on manufacturing technology lessons in the high school classroom will be developed. Access to hands-on learning and skill development opportunities will boost student interest in pursuing manufacturing careers by combatting negative stereotypes surrounding the industry's image, as well as leading to increased self-efficacy in STEM subjects, particularly for female and underrepresented students. Columbia Basin College will actively partner with the Tri Tech Skills Center, a local high school that specializes in career technical education. These institutions will jointly pilot an Introduction to Manufacturing course with high school students. During the Summer Academy, students will undertake multiple experiential learning opportunities, including the design and manufacturing of a take-home product, career exploration presentations, field trips, and internships with industry partners. The opportunity to earn both high school and college credit upon successful completion of the academy will incentivize students and provide a cost-effective means for students to transition into the Manufacturing Technology program at the community college. This opportunity will stimulate the diverse high school population in the Columbia Basin College service area to pursue post-secondary Manufacturing Technology education and subsequently pursue technical careers in manufacturing technology. What is learned will inform effective practices in both bridging students into post-secondary education and effective practices engaging rural students in higher education. 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.