Workshop: Charting the Course: Next Generation Career and Technical Education for Advanced Manufacturing; Columbus, Ohio; 16-17 May 2019

Ohio State University, The, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

The US infrastructure and productivity in scientific research remains unparalleled and is the envy of the world. However, over the past 20 years, the United States has developed a growing negative trade imbalance in high-technology manufactured goods. This gap inhibits both the growth of the economy and the rate of innovation, since it is difficult to innovate the next-generation of products when the current generation is not produced domestically. A skilled manufacturing workforce is a prerequisite for successful global competition, but the US has lost its focus on preparing the technical workforce in recent decades. New frameworks, pathways and partnerships for producing appropriately skilled workers are needed to protect America's economy and security. Industry, academia, local economic development agencies, other non-governmental agencies, technical societies and federal agencies all have programs to address these problems, which are widely recognized. There is a strong need to coordinate these stakeholders to develop evidence-based, actionable and replicable programs to train the next generation of manufacturing workers. The Manufacturing USA Institutes represent the largest investment in manufacturing technology development and workforce development in a generation. They are possibly the best leaders and conveners to set frameworks and programs for next-generation career technical education. They are unique in that each is part of a national network that includes academic, federal and other stakeholders, while embedded in and highly-connected to the local economies in which they are located. This creates a powerful opportunity to implement programs that serve local needs, while leveraging a national network of resources. The workshop will bring together a team of experts to plan a series of workshops. The planning team includes Manufacturing USA workforce directors, regional economic development advocates and academics who will define a strategy that positions the Institutes to be leaders and catalysts for a revitalized program for holistic workforce development ranging from K-12 education to professional development for incumbent workers. This overall program will close the gap between scientific discovery and impact on the US economy, including better jobs for workers. The first workshop is scheduled for May 16-17 in Columbus, Ohio on the campus of The Ohio State University. 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.