Preparing Students for the Industry 4.0 Technician Workforce

Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

Manufacturers are implementing new Industry 4.0 technologies to improve the performance of their production systems and supply chain. Highly skilled technicians are essential for designing, programming, and maintaining software and hardware used in these technologies. Technical education programs need to keep pace with the new technologies that students will encounter when they enter the workforce. This project will develop an Industry 4.0 hands-on training program to prepare students in five technology degree programs for multiple career pathways. Students will learn skills that cut across multiple disciplines such as troubleshooting, preventative maintenance, and project management. The project team will conduct an industry survey to determine what skills are needed in an Industry 4.0 environment. Based on the survey results, a set of six technology courses will be revised to create a new certificate program with industry certifications. A new Industry 4.0 laboratory will be developed to provide hands-on training on Industry 4.0 technologies. The project team will implement best practices in recruiting strategies for students from traditionally underrepresented groups to broaden participation in the technical workforce. The project goals are to: (1) identify skills needed for Industry 4.0 in collaboration with industry and existing ATE centers, (2) revise six courses across multiple degree programs to create a new certificate program, and (3) increase the number of students from underrepresented groups in five technician degree programs. The project team will collect data from industry in the region and two ATE centers using a skills survey that is focused on Industry 4.0 technologies. Survey results will be used to identify new skills requirements and revise six courses used in multiple degree programs, namely, Programmable Logic Controllers, Environmental Health and Safety, Introduction to Mechatronics, Circuit Analysis, Introduction to Maintenance Procedures, and Bioprocess Equipment Maintenance. A new Industry 4.0 certificate program will be created using this set of courses. An Industry 4.0 laboratory will be developed with input from industry and two ATE centers. The laboratory will provide hands-on learning experiences for students with multiple automation stations that include the sensors, actuators, and controller necessary for automating a process. The project team will implement effective advising strategies for recruiting and retaining students from underrepresented groups. The survey results, curriculum, and educational materials from this project will be disseminated across the North Carolina Community College System and at national technical education conferences. 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.