Advanced Manufacturing Project-Learning in Focused Innovation (AMPLiFI)

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project is creating a flexible technician education framework that draws on the experience of the National Network Manufacturing Institutes (NNMIs) to prepare the workforce for the advanced manufacturing technical occupations of the future. The framework is being developed and piloted for curricular materials focused on Additive Manufacturing (AM) in a manner that is broadly applicable to technician education programs in other technical areas to be determined under the NNMI program. In addition the framework and associated knowledge, skills and competencies are being built around broadly accepted national and international standards (e.g. ASTM, ISO) in order to ensure broad industry recognition and acceptance. A series of workshops centered on deploying 6 modules across a variety of existing courses in AM are being held, and these are serving as the baseline for evaluating the efficacy of the framework. Intellectual Merit : Emerging advanced manufacturing educational efforts traditionally lag behind the required technician competencies in the industrial sector, which increases the shortage of qualified technicians and slows the adoption of new advanced manufacturing technologies. This project is establishing a system for the creation of educational support materials that can be accelerated into the educational marketplace. It is anticipated that this model can be replicated and utilized to seamlessly integrate and align technician education to new emerging technologies that mature out of the NNMI efforts. This project is providing a framework to structure the technical educational elements and streamline the delivery format for technical education while addressing the needs of an industry driven technically competent workforce. Broader Impacts : The materials utilize components of deeper learning to engage students from a broad variety of cultural and socio-economic demographics. Students solve complex engineering related issues through a process that fosters a sense of ownership as well as responsibility. Project personnel work closely with an Industry Advisory Council (IAC) comprised of industry stakeholders to identify appropriate content, and the IAC is providing ideas that capture the regional applications of advanced manufacturing. The flexible framework model is maximizing integration into existing curriculum materials by creating modules.