Increasing Student Enrollment, Education, and Employment in Chemical Technology

从洗发水、谷物和发动机油到新药，化学技术人员在许多消费品的生产和改进中发挥着至关重要的作用。他们在化工和制药制造厂、环境实验室、法医化学实验室以及食品和饮料行业等工业设施中工作。这些技术人员通常接受过化学技术计划方面的培训。尽管化学技术人员在国家劳动力大军中扮演着重要的角色，但许多人并不知道在化学技术领域或全国各地的化学技术教育计划中的职业可能性。该项目计划加强学院的化学技术应用科学协会项目，以便学生更容易看到和接触到它，包括STEM中代表性不足的学生、退伍军人和拥有普通教育发展证书的学生。该项目还打算教育当地雇主、高中教师和高中生有关化学技术领域及其机会的知识。为了实现这些目标，该项目计划发展新的伙伴关系和合作，编写教育材料和方法，解释化学技术人员在科学和社会中的作用，提高人们对应用科学副学士学位的兴趣，并阐明对更熟练的技术工人的需求。预期结果包括提高STEM教师对化学技术领域和教育途径的认识，更多在化学技术实验室及其职业道路上有经验的学生，以及扩大对化学技术应用科学副学士毕业生的招聘。该项目旨在推进化学技术专业的招聘工作，纳入STEM教学实践，使学生在这一先进技术行业中学习最大化，并教育公众了解这一高需求的先进技术领域。该项目支持的活动将侧重于服务于潜在的学生和职业影响者，如教师、教师、辅导员和管理人员。项目活动包括：(1)实施暑期STEM师范学院，为教育工作者提供化学实验室科学方面的经验，并为化学技术毕业生提供就业机会；(2)主办一年一度的高中生学院，学生们可以在其中使用先进的分析设备，了解化学技术专业；(3)建立一项新的以工作为基础的学习协议，使开普恐惧社区学院的化学技术实验室能够作为雇主的寄宿设施，从而快速跟踪学生毕业后的就业情况；以及(4)聘请一名联络员，专注于整个北卡罗来纳州的学生招聘、学生留住和雇主意识。这些活动预计将支持学生进入化学技术劳动力队伍的招聘、入学和就业项目计划。该项目由高级技术教育计划资助，该计划专注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优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Chemical technicians have vital roles in the manufacture and improvement of many consumer products, ranging from shampoos, cereal, and engine oil, to new medicines. They work in industrial facilities such as chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, environmental laboratories, forensic chemistry labs, and the food and beverage industry. These technicians are typically trained in chemical technology programs. Despite the essential roles of chemical technicians in the national workforce, many people are unaware of either the career possibilities in chemical technology or the chemical technology education programs across the nation. This project plans to strengthen the Colleges’ Associate of Applied Science in Chemical Technology program so that it is more visible and accessible to students, including students from groups that are underrepresented in STEM, veterans, and students with General Education Development credentials. The project also intends to educate local employers, high school teachers, and high school students about the chemical technology field and its opportunities. To achieve these goals, the project plans to develop new partnerships and collaborations, prepare educational materials and approaches that explain the roles of chemical technicians in science and society, increase interest in Associate of Applied Science degrees, and clarify the need for more skilled technical workers. Expected outcomes include an increase in STEM teacher awareness of the chemical technology field and educational pathways, a larger number of students who have experiences in the chemical technology laboratory and its career paths, and expanded hiring of graduates with Associate of Applied Science in Chemical Technology graduates.This project aims to advance the recruitment efforts of the chemical technology program, to incorporate STEM teaching practices that maximize student learning in this advanced technology trade, and to educate the public about this high-demand advanced technology field. Activities supported by the project will focus on serving potential students and career influencers, such as teachers, faculty, counselors, and administrators. Project activities include: (1) implementing a summer STEM teacher academy to provide educators with experiences in chemical laboratory sciences and the career possibilities for chemical technology graduates; (2) hosting an annual high school student academy where students can use advanced analytical equipment and learn about the chemical technology profession; (3) establishing a new work-based learning agreement that will allow Cape Fear Community College’s Chemical Technology laboratory to serve as an on-boarding facility for employers, thus fast-tracking student employment after graduation; and (4) hiring a liaison who will focus on student recruitment, student retention, and employer awareness throughout the state of North Carolina. These activities are expected to support the project plan of recruitment, enrollment, employment of students into the chemical technology workforce. 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.