Enhancing Aviation Maintenance Technician Training with Nondestructive Testing Skills

无损检测（NDT）用于检测和评估材料中的缺陷，而不会损坏被测对象。 通过这种方式，NDT可用于确保对象在其服务期间的功能。NDT行业预计将在未来几年内大幅增长，推动行业对具有执行NDT所需知识和技能的技术人员的需求不断增长。 佛罗里达东北部的航空制造业已经需要更多的无损检测技术人员。 然而，当地的大学教育计划无法帮助满足这一需求。该项目旨在为学生和在职工人建立一个新的无损检测职业途径。 它将通过在杰克逊维尔的佛罗里达州立学院目前的航空维修技术副学士学位课程中开发一个新的无损检测证书课程来实现这一目标。 为了支持证书计划，该项目将创建一个新的NDT学习实验室，配备培训设备，以便学生可以学习如何使用不同类型的NDT方法。一套NDT实验室练习将被开发用于外展活动，如高中访问和夏令营，旨在增加证书课程的学生人数。 这些外联工作将侧重于接触来自在航空维修队伍中代表性不足的社区的学生。该项目预计将为航空业提供劳动力准备技术人员，同时扩大技术劳动力的参与。根据航空业合作伙伴的建议，该学院将开发一个计划，为学生准备美国无损检测协会（ASNT）NDT I级认证。 它将在商业和工业领导小组（BILT）的指导下制定NDT计划，该小组包括来自航空业和学术机构的成员。 该项目预计将开发一套五门课程，涵盖磁粉，液体渗透，电磁，超声波和目视检查的常见无损检测技术。这些课程将使用基于5E学习周期的探究式学习模式，参与，探索，解释，评估和扩展。一个新的NDT学习实验室将作为教师和学生的教育培训中心，并将包括ASNT I级认证所涵盖的检测技术所需的NDT设备。将在参与的高中开展推广活动，向学生介绍无损检测技术，描述航空技术领域的就业机会，并分享来自不同人群的高中生和大学生在航空技术行业就业的概况。项目活动对学生入学率和保留率的影响将使用机构数据进行评估，包括人口统计数据，学生入学率和学生留存率。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。

Nondestructive Testing (NDT) is used to detect and evaluate defects in materials without damaging the object being tested. In this way, NDT can be used to ensure the functionality of objects across their period of service. The NDT industry is expected to grow substantially over the next few years, driving an increasing industry demand for technicians with the knowledge and skills needed to perform NDT. A need for more NDT technicians already exists within Northeast Florida’s aviation manufacturing industry. However, local college education programs are not available to help meet this need. This project aims to establish a new career pathway in NDT for students and incumbent workers. It will do so by developing a new NDT certificate program within the current Aviation Maintenance Technology associate degree program at Florida State College at Jacksonville. To support the certificate program, the project will create a new NDT learning lab equipped with training equipment so that students can learn how to use different types of NDT methods. A set of NDT lab exercises will be developed for outreach activities, such as high school visits and summer camps, designed to increase the number of students in the certificate program. These outreach efforts will focus on reaching students from communities that are underrepresented in the aviation maintenance workforce. The project is expected to provide the aviation industry with workforce-ready technicians while broadening participation in the technical workforce.Based on recommendations from aviation industry partners, the college will develop a program to prepare students for American Society of Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) NDT Level I certification. It will develop the NDT program with guidance from a Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) that includes members from the aviation industry and academic institutions. The project anticipates developing a set of five courses covering the common NDT techniques of magnetic particle, liquid penetrant, electromagnetic, ultrasonic, and visual inspection. The courses will use an inquiry-based learning model based on the 5E learning cycle, Engage, Explore, Explain, Evaluate, and Extend. A new NDT learning lab will serve as an educational training center for faculty and students and will include NDT equipment needed for inspection techniques covered in the ASNT Level I certification. Outreach activities will be conducted at participating high schools to introduce students to NDT technology, to describe career opportunities available in aviation technology, and to share profiles of high school and college students from diverse populations who are employed in the aviation technology industry. The impact of the project activities on student enrollment and retention will be assessed using institutional data including demographics, student enrollment in courses, and student retention rate. 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.