Advanced Industrial Instrumentation Control Technician Education

River Parishes Community College, Gonzales LA

Investigators

Abstract

This project will contribute to development of a skilled technical workforce by improving an Industrial Instrumentation degree program. The improved curriculum will include training in advanced automation control and troubleshooting skills in chemical manufacturing control systems. The degree will emphasize the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) operational model, Industry 4.0 troubleshooting methods, and modern Human Machine Interface. The river region of southern Louisiana has a growing demand for Industrial Instrumentation Control Technicians with experience in advanced automation control and troubleshooting skills. These technicians are vital to the daily operations of petro-chemical plants and are responsible for troubleshooting, tuning, and programming automation components. As a result, there is an ongoing need to advance the skills of industrial instrumentation control technicians in IIoT operations and in Industry 4.0 methods. The degree will also emphasize 21st century technical skills, such as critical thinking and information literacy, to produce a well-educated, productive technical workforce for this diverse, rural region. The project will deconstruct and redesign an existing Industrial Instrumentation degree program by using the Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) evaluation plan. Content will be developed by working closely with industry partners to develop an Introduction to IIoT course and an Industry 4.0 capstone course. In addition, selected modules in the new courses will be incorporated into the Process Technology degree coursework. This project has three targeted outcomes: 1) Researching intrinsically safe portable Human Machine Interface devices that communicate equipment and personnel GPS positioning, process systems automation control, and industrial plant process health; 2) Designing coursework to address the interface of the IIoT – Operational Technology/Information Technology communications requirements and Industry 4.0 troubleshooting skills; and 3) Implementing core STEM skill modules that address the academic needs of a diverse, rural student population. The courses will immerse students in an integrated approach to plant operations and troubleshooting. These courses will be developed out of an acknowledged need in the business community for technicians who work in cross-disciplinary teams in which instrumentation technicians and process technology workers are able to envision plant controls as a system. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. 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.