Robotics program expansion for automation workforce development

The National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education awarded $812,404 to Hennepin Technical College on October 1, 2026, under the STEM Education program to expand the Automation Robotics Engineering Technology Program at the Brooklyn Park Campus in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The award funds curriculum development, new courses and certificates, and apprenticeship pathways in robotics and mechatronics at the associate degree level. Hennepin Technical College will modify curricula in consultation with industry partners to reflect current technological advances and workforce requirements, increase student outreach and support services, and expand faculty professional development. The program targets the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro area, where employers and potential students in the northern region currently lack access to robotics technician training with mechatronics skills. The project aims to demonstrate how integrated robotics, mechatronics, certification programs, and apprenticeships—supported by industry partnerships—prepare technicians for highly automated manufacturing workplaces and address regional workforce development needs.

The award period runs from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2029. An evaluation plan will examine the program's effects on student experience, faculty development, industry engagement, and workforce outcomes, with particular focus on competencies required for robotics integration and curriculum alignment with industry partner needs. This is a Project Grant within the Advanced Technological Education Program.

Abstract

This project aims to address a regional need for qualified robotics technicians with additional skills in mechatronics by continuing to expand the automation robotics engineering technology program at the brooklyn park campus of hennepin technical college. This project will TAP into a sizable pool of potential candidates and employers located in the northern portion of the minneapolis/ST. Paul metro area who currently lack access to this training. The project will demonstrate how an education that combines robotics, mechatronics, certification pathways, and apprenticeships, supported by strong industry partnerships, will prepare technicians with the skills needed for emerging, highly automated workplaces. This education will prepare students for highly paid jobs and provide employers with the skilled workers needed for the continued expansion of manufacturing in the region. The goals of the project are to address the regional workforce needs, increase training opportunities in robotics, and develop pathways for the completion of AAS degrees in mechatronics by creating new courses and certificates and increasing outreach and supports, including apprenticeship opportunities. Curricular modifications will be completed in consultation with industry to ensure that the program's education and training reflect advances in technology and modern workforce needs. The project's evaluation plan will examine how the program development affects the student experience, faculty professional development, industry engagement, and workforce development. The project aims to advance the knowledge and understanding of the competencies required to prepare technicians to integrate robotics standards in the workforce and the processes necessary to align curriculum to the needs of industry partners. 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.