Building robust mechatronics pathways

Central Community College received a $944,372 Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation's STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) on September 1, 2025, with completion scheduled for August 31, 2028. The award funds the development and pilot delivery of hands-on, web-based distance mechatronics courses tailored for two target populations: incumbent workers currently employed in Nebraska manufacturing and process industries, and adult learners enrolled in the college's adult education programs. Over the three-year project period, the initiative will recruit and train approximately 180 students through this flexible, scalable delivery model designed to address significant skills gaps in the regional workforce while expanding access to technical training for individuals regardless of educational background.

The project leverages Central Community College's established expertise in delivering hands-on distance mechatronics instruction, combined with industry leadership input through its Business and Industry Leadership Team comprised of participating Nebraska employers. A key service component includes immersive, interactive professional development workshops for industry leaders and adult education office staff to strengthen their proficiency with hands-on mechatronics training equipment and instructional methods. By validating this adapted delivery model with working professionals, the award aims to create a sustainable mechanism for workforce development that can be scaled to grow the skilled mechatronics technician pipeline within Nebraska's manufacturing sector.

Abstract

Manufacturing and process industries are leading economic drivers in the nation, and the demand for highly skilled technicians continues to grow. Over the past five years, central community college (CCC) in rural nebraska has established a proven method to deliver hands-on distance (web-based) mechatronics classes in secondary schools. This new project will pilot this course delivery method with a broader audience: workers currently employed in industry and adult learners enrolled in adult education (AE) programs at CCC AE office locations. Over the three-year project period, 180 students will be recruited to participate in the hands-on distance mechatronics courses. The business and industry leadership team (bilt), comprised of leaders from participating nebraska businesses, CCC, and the project team, recommended piloting this initiative with working professionals to expand workforce education. The project's goal is to validate a flexible scalable delivery model that enables individuals regardless of background to access technical training and enhance their career opportunities. This adapted model has the potential to create a mechanism to grow a skilled workforce from within a business. To realize the overall project goal of increasing the number of mechatronics technicians in nebraska, the project will adapt and pilot a new delivery method for hands-on distance mechatronics courses with incumbent workers in industry and students in the CCC AE program. The project will leverage strong industry and employer demand; significant gaps in knowledge, skills and abilities of industry workers; and CCC's existing capacity to build an effective solution. To help facilitate the hands-on component of the distance curriculum, industry leaders from participant businesses and AE offices will experience immersive interactive professional development workshops to strengthen their skills using the hands-on mechatronics trainers and familiarity with the course progression. The project team will leverage the lessons learned from the CCC AE staff regarding recruitment of motivated, course-ready AE learners. Once enrolled, students will follow a course sequence with one-to-one, hands-on trainers beginning with DC fundamentals in concepts of electronics and an introduction to instrumentation in the first year of the two-year sequence. The second year will continue with third and fourth courses including an introduction to programmable controllers and applications of industrial sensors. Documented lessons learned through an extensive evaluation process will be widely disseminated to help support urgent national calls to action to increase the number of workers entering high-demand careers in mechatronics. 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.