CARCAM- Preparing for Economic Rebirth

Gadsden State Community College, Gadsden AL

Investigators

Abstract

The five-college Consortium for Alabama Regional Center for Automotive Manufacturing (CARCAM) expands to nine colleges and builds on previous work to develop and implement a sustainable educational delivery system to educate the region's next generation of motivated, multi-skilled technicians for the automotive-related manufacturing industry. State-wide partnerships are leveraged to produce process-oriented technical education programs that emphasize 21st century skills and problem-solving methods as well as integrate aspects of modern production systems and sustainable, lean /green manufacturing, automated control systems and mechatronics. Building on collaborations with other ATE projects and centers, governmental agencies and professional societies, automotive and related manufacturing technical courses and professional development are redesigned so they can be delivered effectively via hybrid and distance education. Career coach programs, summer camps and social networking applications are used to increase student awareness and interest in career pathway options and manufacturing degrees. The evaluation plan measures increases in student enrollment, degree completion and dissemination of successful practices.