An automation robotics program for nontraditional students

The National Science Foundation awarded Hennepin Technical College a $349,578 project grant under the STEM Education (47.076) program to develop an Automation Robotics program. The college will create new courses, stackable certificates, and modify curricula in consultation with industry to align with advances in Industry 4.0 manufacturing standards. Mobile training labs will expand access to automation robotics and mechatronics education. The program aims to accommodate nontraditional students and increase apprenticeship opportunities to prepare technicians for Industry 4.0 competencies. Program evaluation will assess the impact of apprenticeships on student outcomes. The three-year project period runs from June 2023 to May 2026.

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution, or industry 4.0, refers to the manufacturing industry?S use of technologies, such as artificial intelligence and advanced robotics, that allow machines to communicate with each other and work together to analyze and diagnose issues with increasingly minimal need for traditional human intervention. However, there is a growing national need for technicians who are prepared to work in new ways and with new skills in this modern technological industrial environment. The goal of this project is to create an academic program that will provide students with pathways to pursue AAS degrees while working in the automation industry. The resulting program will be designed to accommodate the needs of nontraditional and female students. The project will help to sustain the nation?S competitiveness in a manufacturing industry that is becoming increasingly automated and integrated with smart technology. The goals of the project include developing new courses and stackable certificate pathways, increasing the availability of automation robotics engineering technology (ARET)/mechatronics education and training by using mobile training equipment, and increasing outreach and supports including apprenticeship opportunities. Curriculum modification will be completed in consultation with industry to ensure the program?S education and training reflect advances in technology and modern workforce needs. The project?S evaluation plan will examine the impact apprenticeship participation has on student retention and completion, addressing a knowledge GAP around the outcomes of community college students? Work-based learning experiences. The project will advance the knowledge and understanding of the competencies required to prepare technicians to meet industry 4.0 standards and the processes necessary to align curriculum to industry 4.0 standards. 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.