Advancing automation curricula to graduate technicians to meet future industry needs

Wake Technical Community College received a $999,955 Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2028. The award supports the development and implementation of three new Advanced Automation Certificates designed to prepare students for Industry 5.0 career opportunities in the Raleigh, North Carolina region, where advanced manufacturing employment is projected to grow 14-29% in the coming years. Primary deliverables include: development of an industry-validated automation curriculum; laboratory upfitting with automation instrumentation and simulation software; implementation of three new certification programs expected to impact 420+ students; and professional development and industry certification training for 18 faculty instructors.

The project employs a Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) model to strengthen academia-industry partnerships and ensure curriculum alignment with current employer needs. The college will disseminate curriculum resources across the North Carolina Community College System and the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) community nationally, enabling replication and adaptation by other technician training programs. Activities also include broadening participation initiatives through partnerships with local middle and high schools, industry partners, and an ATE Center to increase access for underrepresented populations in advanced manufacturing fields and address workforce skill gaps in industrial, mechanical, electrical, testing, and welding competencies.

Abstract

Training a skilled workforce in advanced manufacturing helps grow the domestic economy, benefits national security, and enhances global competitiveness. The raleigh, north carolina region is expected to have a 14% to 29% growth in advanced manufacturing areas that require technicians with industrial, mechanical, electrical, testing, and welding skills. This project at wake technical community college will develop an advanced, multidisciplinary, industry-validated training program to prepare students for emerging industry 5.0 career opportunities focused on automation with embedded industry credentials and professional competencies. The curriculum's focus on professional skills and competencies reflects the demand from a local industry survey and within the current literature. This project will develop an automation curriculum, upfit labs with automation instrumentation and simulation software, implement three new advanced automation curriculum certificates, and broaden participation by working with industry partners, an ATE center, and local middle and high schools. This project will impact 420+ students through the development and implementation of three new advanced automation certificates. The team's dissemination plan will provide a useful industry-validated curriculum built on previous work and research literature. Curricular resources will be shared across the north carolina community college system and ATE communities nationally. Professional development for 18 instructors, who will earn industry certifications, will be provided as part of this project. The project's adoption of a business and industry leadership team (bilt) model increases partnerships between academia and industry to address employers' current and future needs for technicians. The project is replicable at various scales and can be fully adapted by other technician training programs. The proposed work builds on the wake technical community college's current NSF ATE I4.0 project and will rely on additional ATE community resources. 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.