Strengthening and Diversifying Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Pathways

堪萨斯地区正面临着严重的先进制造业劳动力短缺，这阻碍了低收入农村社区的工业增长和经济发展。西北堪萨斯技术学院的这个项目将建立一个内置微型证书的学术途径，与行业需求保持一致，以提高中学生对行业的认识，并有可能加快这些高需求领域的就业。在为期3年的项目中，将招募来自5所地区中学的83名学生完成3门先进制造技术课程。该项目将把先进的制造技术和设备带入中学的教室，作为课程的动手部分。中学的教育工作者将接受有关设备和技术的专业发展培训，以便更好地为参加课程的学生服务，并增加对其他相关课程和项目的技术适应。通过访问中学的地区行业合作伙伴，将向学生提供先进制造业的就业机会。由于该项目将重点关注区域中学生，因此重点是增加完成项目的学生的多样性，并继续他们的教育，目标是在STEM领域就业。该项目的总体目标是增加具有相关课堂作业和行业经验的学生进入该地区STEM劳动力队伍的人数。在三年的项目中，预计将有83名学生入学，9名教师将接受面对面、实践专业发展和混合课程的培训。学生将参加3门课程，向他们介绍增材和减法制造技术和工艺，以及在这两个过程中使用的设计原则。学生将完成一个顶点项目来展示他们所学到的技能，他们将向行业合作伙伴展示他们的项目，以获得审查和反馈。学院教师将与行业咨询委员会成员密切合作，为学生开发和整合最新的行业相关材料，并为教师提供适当的专业发展。顾问委员会成员将在整个项目期间定期派代表前往中学，领导项目的营销工作，提高行业的知名度。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。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Kansas region is facing a serious advanced manufacturing labor shortage that inhibits industry growth and economic development in low-income rural communities. This project from Northwest Kansas Technical College will establish an academic pathway with built-in micro-credentials that are aligned with the needs of industry to increase awareness of the industry to secondary students and potentially expedite employment in these high-demand fields. Over the 3-year project, 83 students from 5 regional secondary schools will be recruited to complete 3 courses in advanced manufacturing technology. The project will bring advanced manufacturing technology and equipment into the classrooms of the secondary schools for hands-on components of the courses. Educators at the secondary schools will receive professional development training on the equipment and technology in order to better serve students taking the courses and increase adaptation of the technology into other related courses and projects. Career opportunities in advanced manufacturing will be presented to students through regional industry partners that visit the secondary schools. Because the project will be focusing on reaching regional secondary students, there is a large focus to increase the diversity of students that complete the project, and continue their education with the goal of employment in a STEM field. The overall goal of the project is to increase the number of students entering the STEM workforce in the region with relevant classwork and industry experience. 83 students are expected to enroll over the 3 years of the project and 9 faculty members will be trained with a mixture of in-person, hands-on professional development and hybrid coursework. Students will take 3 courses that will introduce them to additive and subtractive manufacturing technology and processes, as well as the design principles used in both processes. Students will complete a capstone project to demonstrate skills learned and they will present their project to industry partners for review and feedback. College faculty members will work closely with members of the industry advisory committee to develop and integrate up-to-date industry-relevant material for students and proper professional development for faculty members. Advisory board members will send representatives to the secondary schools periodically throughout the timeline of the project to lead marketing efforts of the project and increase awareness of the industry. 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.