Accelerated pathway for diverse manufacturing engineering technicians

This $295,285 Project Grant awarded by the National Science Foundation (CFDA 47.076 - STEM Education) to Clover Park Technical College will increase the number of manufacturing engineering technicians, with a particular focus on improving female representation in the workforce. The project involves a collaboration with local career and technical education providers, faculty professional development, increased outreach at area high schools, and the establishment of a business and industry leadership team to guide the academic process. This multi-pronged approach aims to generate interest, build strong industry partnerships, and provide high-quality technician training to increase and diversify the population of students entering the manufacturing engineering technician workforce in the Washington South Sound region. The project will commence on July 1, 2024, and conclude on June 30, 2027.

Abstract

In this project, clover park technical college, will increase the number of manufacturing engineering technicians with a particular focus on increasing female representation in the workforce. The project involves a collaboration with local career and technical education (CTE) providers, faculty professional development, increased outreach at area high schools, and the establishment of a robust business and industry leadership team to guide the academic process at the college. Clover park technical college estimates that this will increase the number of manufacturing engineering technicians to 30, with increased representation of women. This work is influenced by industry 4.0, which represents the changes being made in this fourth industrial revolution. These changes integrate aspects of automation, data analytics, and digitization in engineering fields that previously relied heavily on human input and decision making. This program will be enhanced with opportunities to make students confident users of technology that will improve their workforce experience and outcomes. This project will use a multi-pronged approach to generate interest, build strong industry partnerships, and provide high quality technician training to increase and diversify the population of students entering the workforce as manufacturing engineering technicians in the washington south sound region. Clover park technical college will partner with the pierce county skills center's aerospace manufacturing faculty to develop a pathway that will engage students who are approaching high school graduation. They will make use of a pre-existing dual credit and dual enrollment program to give high school students the opportunity to earn 15 credit hours towards their degree, which can be completed upon graduation and transfer. Partnerships with the national institute for women in trades, technology, and science (iwitts) will enable the project to meet their goal of increasing the number of women entering the discipline. This project will serve students at the high school and existing students in clover park's manufacturing program. Finally, the program will benefit from the input of regional employers through a structured business and industry leadership team (bilt). With this group's guidance the team will establish credentials with high industry value that can be obtained or awarded as students make progress towards their degree. An external evaluation will measure the degree to which clover park is meeting their stated goals and will assist in developing a dissemination plan that will allow them to share their findings with other communities that are in a position to pursue similar programs. 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.- subawards are not planned for this award.