Collaborative research: building a next-generation technician workforce for advanced manufacturing and the electric vehicle supply chain

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Piedmont Technical College Inc. $1.721 million on October 1, 2026, under the Advanced Technological Education Program (CFDA 47.076) to develop and implement a next-generation technician workforce training model for advanced manufacturing and electric vehicle supply chains.

Piedmont will identify workforce needs, develop and test industry-responsive curriculum, strengthen partnerships among two-year colleges, four-year colleges, industry partners, and credentialing organizations, and pilot a scalable learner pathway. The project will create technical and employability modules covering EV supply chains, logistics, smart factories, digital twins, quality and compliance, recycling and recovery, and workplace skills. Curriculum will incorporate digital learning, digital twin simulations, and credentialing mechanisms tested with learners and refined through implementation evidence. Deliverables include microcredentials, instructional resources, trained faculty, and evaluation findings through surveys, focus groups, interviews, and independent assessment.

The award runs through September 30, 2029, with place of performance in Greenwood, South Carolina. The project strengthens pathways into high-demand careers aligned with domestic manufacturing, energy security, supply-chain resilience, and technological leadership. Intellectual merit derives from advancing understanding of how digital tools, simulation, credentialing, and industry partnerships improve technician education at scale for national adoption.

Abstract

This project will strengthen america's competitiveness by preparing technicians for advanced manufacturing and electric vehicle (EV) supply chains. These fields are central to domestic manufacturing, energy security, supply-chain resilience, and technological leadership. The project will create a training model for technicians who must use production systems, battery technologies, automation, digital tools, and quality processes. IT will connect two-year colleges, four-year colleges, industry partners, and credentialing organizations. Broader impacts will include stronger pathways into high-demand careers, education-industry partnerships, trained faculty, microcredentials, and instructional resources for national use. The goals and scope of the project will be to identify workforce needs, develop and test an industry-responsive curriculum, strengthen partnerships, pilot a scalable learner pathway, and build faculty capacity. The project will use surveys, focus groups, interviews, learner data, instructor feedback, and independent evaluation. IT will develop technical modules and employability modules covering EV supply chains, logistics, smart factories, digital twins, quality and compliance, recycling and recovery, and workplace skills. The intellectual merit will come from advancing understanding of how digital learning, digital twin simulations, credentialing, and industry partnerships can improve technician education at scale. The curriculum will be tested with learners and refined using evidence from implementation. This project is funded by the advanced technological education program, which 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 planned for this award.