Modernizing electromechanical technician education in appalachian ohio

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Zane State College one million dollars on October 1, 2026, under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) to modernize its electromechanical technology curriculum and workforce preparation pathway. The award funds a comprehensive redesign of the college's electromechanical technology program to address persistent shortages of technicians in automation, robotics, industrial maintenance, and electromechanical systems across Appalachian Ohio's advanced manufacturing sector. The project will implement a cross-disciplinary curriculum integrating electronics, mechanics, and automation; expand student supports and work-based learning opportunities; and develop stackable credentials and multiple entry points to support persistence and completion of an associate degree. Zane State College will engage partnerships with manufacturers, workforce organizations, secondary schools, the Ohio Manufacturers' Association, and the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership to align curriculum with industry needs and employer engagement. Expected outcomes include increased enrollment, persistence, credential attainment, workforce readiness, and co-op and internship participation. The college will disseminate curriculum resources, implementation strategies, evidence-based practices, and lessons learned to support technician education and workforce preparation in rural communities nationwide. Work is performed in Zanesville, Ohio, with a period of performance from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2029.

Abstract

Advanced manufacturing remains a cornerstone of ohio's economy, yet employers continue to report persistent shortages of technicians with expertise in automation, robotics, industrial maintenance, and electromechanical systems. For appalachian ohio, these workforce needs create opportunities to strengthen educational attainment, expand workforce participation, and connect residents to family-sustaining careers. The significance of this project lies in its potential to strengthen the nation's advanced manufacturing workforce while expanding opportunities for rural residents to enter high-demand technical careers. To achieve these outcomes, zane state college will implement a comprehensive redesign of its electromechanical technology program to better align with industry needs and emerging technologies. The project will prepare electromechanical technicians for careers in advanced manufacturing through a cross-disciplinary pathway that integrates electronics, mechanics, and automation. Complementary student supports, work-based learning opportunities, employer engagement, and flexible pathway options, including stackable credentials and multiple entry points, will help students persist and progress toward completion of an associate degree. Partnerships with manufacturers, workforce organizations, secondary schools, the ohio manufacturers' association, and the ohio manufacturing extension partnership will support curriculum alignment, career readiness, employer engagement, and statewide manufacturing and workforce priorities. Expected outcomes include increased enrollment, persistence, credential attainment, workforce readiness, and participation in CO-OPS and internships. Curriculum resources, implementation strategies, evidence-based practices, and lessons learned will be disseminated to support technician education and workforce preparation in rural communities nationwide. The project's goals are to modernize the electromechanical technology pathway and advance understanding of strategies that strengthen technician preparation, student success, and workforce alignment in rural and appalachian communities. The project will redesign curriculum through dacum-based validation, statewide competency frameworks, and direct employer engagement to create an integrated pathway spanning electronics, mechanics, automation, robotics, and industrial maintenance. Building on prior reforms of gateway courses, the project will investigate how embedded tutoring, contextualized instruction, stackable credentials, credit for prior learning, dual-enrollment pathways, veteran-focused supports, and faculty development in evidence-based teaching practices influence student persistence, credential attainment, and associate-degree completion. The project will also examine how structured CO-OPS, internships, and partnerships with statewide manufacturing intermediaries, employers, workforce organizations, and secondary schools strengthen career readiness and workforce alignment. An external evaluator will assess implementation and outcomes through institutional data, surveys, interviews, and employer feedback, generating evidence on curriculum integration, student support strategies, work-based learning, employer engagement, and the conditions under which these approaches improve technician education. Findings will inform how community colleges can modernize technician pathways while strengthening student success and workforce alignment in rural communities. Curriculum resources, findings, implementation strategies, and lessons learned will be disseminated through statewide manufacturing networks, ATE central, skillscommons, and national conferences, providing models that other community colleges can adapt to strengthen technician education and workforce preparation. 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 not planned for this award.