Creating a Regional Workforce for Rural Manufacturing

Lewis-Clark State College, Lewiston ID

Investigators

Abstract

This interdisciplinary education initiative is developing and testing a model for rural, regional workforce development that supports small rural manufacturers and enhances their ability to be innovative and agile in the global economy. With renewed emphasis on high tech regional economic development planning and implementation as the road to economic diversity and regional prosperity, the project seeks to address the struggle for rural schools to address the technical needs of the emerging workforce and the challenges for rural areas to retool themselves for the global economy in manufacturing. This project is (a) creating and documenting a process for establishing and maintaining a rural, regional workforce consortium to support technical education and local manufacturers; (b) piloting the integration of a common manufacturing solid modeling computer-aided-design tool into high schools which encourages innovation and problem solving across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) curricula; (c) developing and testing an active mentoring program that provides practical technical skill development in a contextual manner that can be transferred from school to the world of work; and (d) building career pathways related to STEM-rich technical fields. The primary audiences to be affected are secondary school students and secondary school teachers in six, local school districts. They are being supported by a team of education and economic development professionals that includes the college, the University of Idaho, Clearwater Economic Development Association, Northwest Intermountain Manufacturers Association, Kamiah High School, and Valley Vision. Intellectual Merit: Students work in project-based teams on activities situated in the local community. The project-based/problem-based student experiences are learner-centered in that they employ engineering design principles in which students design, build, analyze, and produce. It is delivered through secondary career and technical education (CTE) programs with an experiential, real work application approach to teaching and learning. Deliverables include a four day solid modeling professional development workshop and two two-day curriculum professional development workshops focused on using solid modeling in STEM curricula; accredited courses for secondary educators using STEM team activities for course projects for students; student independent electronic learning modules developed from manufacturer project ideas; a mentoring program guide and project activities; articulation agreements for career ladders; and dissemination materials. Broader Impacts: This project is preparing CTE professionals to teach STEM in rural regions where resources are scarce and population density is lacking. Throughout the project, the model and all its elements are being evaluated by analyzing learning effectiveness through three test systems; improving student team work and problem solving through project outcomes and student evaluations; and analyzing the effectiveness of educator teams.