Preparing Manufacturing Technicians for the Challenges of Industry 4.0

由于制造业的技术进步速度很快，雇主已经确定了对更多训练有素的制造技术人员的需求。制造技术人员所需的技能现在包括数据采集、计算机集成、机器维护和故障排除。Edgecombe社区学院（ECC）的这个项目将使现有的制造技术学位和电气系统技术文凭与Edgecombe县和邻近管辖区Nash县当地制造业雇主当前和新兴的工业4.0需求保持一致。 在这个为期三年的项目中，ECC计划招募和招收多达20名学生，他们将有望完成这些课程，并在此过程中沿着获得行业认可的证书。 ECC教师将参加制造技能标准理事会（MSSC）的认证专业发展，以更好地准备他们，以提高ECC的课程。 通过继续教育课程，ECC将与需要再培训的在职制造技术人员接触。为了解决在Edgecombe和纳什县的人口谁是在他们追求的职业生涯在制造业代表性不足和失业问题，学院将与焦油河地区男孩和女孩俱乐部合作，积极招募青少年与对技术和科学主题的能力，特别是黑人男性青少年，该项目的总体目标是满足埃奇科姆县和纳什县制造业雇主在维护和故障排除方面的新兴劳动力技能的需求。ECC打算通过招聘工作来增加熟练的技术劳动力，其中包括就业不足的现任制造业工人和高中毕业生。这些学生将受益于针对工业4.0的数据密集型需求量身定制的重点STEM课程，工业4.0越来越依赖于智能传感器，云计算，数据采集和云分析。ECC计划在三年内招收40至60人，并聘请ECC教师完成提供此课程所需的培训。每个高中生和在职工人群体将能够在该项目的第一年完成五门课程，最终获得制造技术学位。学生可以获得额外的相关经验，因为他们参加可用的实习。 初始课程完成者可能有资格进入劳动力市场或继续完成制造技术或电气系统技术学位课程。通过积极参与的咨询委员会，ECC教师和管理部门将寻求更多的劳动力参与机会，以最终改善ECC学生的就业成果。该项目由先进技术教育计划资助，该计划侧重于推动国家经济的先进技术领域的技术人员的教育。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。

Due to the fast pace of technological advancements in the manufacturing industry, employers have identified a need for more highly-trained manufacturing technicians. Desired skills for manufacturing technicians now include data acquisition, computer integration, machine maintenance, and troubleshooting. This project from Edgecombe Community College (ECC) will align the existing Manufacturing Technology degree and Electrical Systems Technology diploma with the current and emerging Industry 4.0 needs of local manufacturing employers in Edgecombe County and an adjacent jurisdiction, Nash County. Over this three-year project, ECC plans to recruit and enroll up to twenty students who will be on track to complete these programs, and obtain industry recognized credentials along the way. ECC faculty will participate in certified professional development from the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) to better prepare them to enhance the curriculum at ECC. Through continuing education classes, ECC will engage with incumbent manufacturing technicians who are in need of re-skilling. To address the under- and unemployment of populations in Edgecombe and Nash counties who are underrepresented in their pursuit of careers in manufacturing, the college will collaborate with the Tar River Area Boys and Girls Club to actively recruit teens with an aptitude towards technical and science topics, specifically Black male teens, and on-site mentoring with peer student mentors.The overall goal of this project is to meet the needs of manufacturing employers in Edgecombe and Nash counties with respect to emerging workforce skills in maintenance and troubleshooting. ECC intends to grow the skilled technical workforce with recruitment efforts that will include under-employed incumbent manufacturing workers and high school graduates. These students will benefit from a focused STEM curriculum tailored towards the data-intensive needs of Industry 4.0 which relies increasingly on smart sensors, cloud computing, data acquisition, and cloud analytics. ECC intends to enroll forty to sixty individuals over three years and engage ECC faculty to complete the training necessary to deliver this curriculum. Each cohort of high school students and incumbent workers will be able to complete five courses in the first year of this project, which can ultimately result in a Manufacturing Technology degree. Students may gain additional relevant experience as they participate in available internships. Initial course completers may be eligible to enter the workforce or continue to complete the Manufacturing Technology or Electrical Systems Technology degree program. Through an actively engaged Advisory Board, ECC faculty and administration will pursue additional workforce engagement opportunities to ultimately improve employment outcomes for ECC students. 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.