Collaborative research: obtaining great jobs in advanced manufacturing through experiential learning opportunities

The National Science Foundation awarded Great Jobs KC, Inc. $246,704 under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program on October 1, 2025, to design and evaluate a two-month hybrid training and internship program preparing individuals without postsecondary degrees for careers in advanced manufacturing and construction.

The recipient will implement hands-on technical training delivered in state-of-the-art laboratories, combined with paid internships at STEM employers and wraparound support services including financial, academic, and career-focused assistance. The project includes research and evaluation to assess how support-intensive, community-based interventions can serve as effective alternatives to college and university degree pathways into STEM fields. Findings will be disseminated to researchers, educators, workforce trainers, employers, and other stakeholders to develop a replicable model adaptable to other regions and high-demand STEM sectors.

Place of performance is Kansas City, Missouri. The period of performance runs through September 30, 2028.

Abstract

This exlent explorations tack project is a partnership to expand employment opportunities in the advanced manufacturing and construction sector. The partnership intends to grow a competitive workforce by engaging participants in hands-on learning experiences in state-of-the-art laboratories, along with internships at stem employers.? The project is designed to extend support beyond the initial experiential learning activities. Participants receive financial, academic, and career focused assistance to participate in short-term training aimed at securing stable employment. These supports are a critical component of the overall strategy to strengthen workforce readiness. By training more people to work in this high-demand sector, this project supports economic growth at both the regional and national level. This project aims to explore how a short-term, high-support training and internship program can effectively prepare individuals without postsecondary degrees for family-sustaining careers in advanced manufacturing and construction. To achieve this, the team will implement and evaluate a two-month hybrid training and internship program that includes hands-on technical training, paid work experience, and wraparound support services. This project is expected to generate new insights into how support-intensive, community-based interventions can serve as effective, scalable alternatives to college and university-based degree pathways into stem fields. Findings will be shared openly and disseminated to researchers, educators, workforce trainers, employers, and other stakeholders engaged in building the advanced manufacturing and construction workforce. The goal is to develop a replicable model that can be adapted to other regions and extended to additional high demand stem sectors. By embedding research, targeted interventions, and evaluation throughout the project, the team seeks to produce actionable insights that can inform workforce development efforts nationwide. The NSF exlent program supports inclusive experiential learning opportunities that provide cohorts of learners with the skills needed to succeed in emerging technology fields. 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.