360 Manufacturing and Applied Engineering ATE Regional Center

Bemidji State University, Bemidji MN

Investigators

Abstract

360 Manufacturing and Applied Engineering ATE Regional Center of Excellence (360 Center) addresses critical manufacturing workforce needs that are imperative to our nation's economic strength and national defense. The 360 Center team is comprised of 15 higher educational institutions (14 of which are 2-year colleges), manufacturing associations, and manufacturers. The Center uses SMART goals, including baseline measures, tied directly to the needs of the manufacturing industry to develop and expand technician education programs resulting in improved student learning, making manufacturing education programs more accessible, and leading to more individuals being qualified for employment in the manufacturing industry. The use of Creative Commons licenses and the archiving of materials with ATE Central will ensure that innovative best practices and discoveries have nationwide impact, as they will be broadly shared with the ATE network and other key stakeholders. The 360 Center will expand and improve the 360 eTECH high school program; expand the 360 Advanced Manufacturing Education Mediated Telepresence model to meet technician education needs; develop a 360 Center Competency-Based Education model integrated into the 360 Seamless Career Pathway; develop and deploy 360 Advanced Skills curriculum and courses, aligning with the Career Pathway; expand Dream It! Do It! Minnesota recruitment strategies; and increase the number of females gaining new and improved manufacturing skills. Target audiences are secondary school students and teachers, parents, advanced manufacturing technicians, traditional and non-traditional students, and females.