Developing PLC and Robotic Automation Technician Training for Service Industries

Vaughn College Of Aeronautics And Technology, East Elmhurst NY

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by addressing the shortage of technicians with the skills to maintain the programable logic controllers (PLCs) and robots in the service industries. The project at Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology provides a PLC and Robotic Automation (PRA) Technician certificate program to address this shortage in the service industries in the greater New York City (NYC) area. As a Hispanic-Serving Institution, Vaughn has embraced students from low-income and first-generation college families, as well as from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. The one-year certificate program reduces the financial and time commitments for students who want to pursue education to improve their upward mobility. Providing this additional pathway not only meets the needs of service industries but also increases diversity in PRA technicians. The goal of the project is to create a one-year 24-credit program to provide PRA technicians with the skills they need for employment in service industries. To ensure graduates of the program have the desired qualifications, the project (a) collaborates with its Business and Industry Leadership Team to determine the service industry needs and develop curriculum to meet them; (b) supports faculty to obtain certifications; (c) recruits both high-school students and incumbent workers using newly developed informational materials; and (d) increases diversity in the PRA technician workforce by partnering with Vaughn’s existing programs to recruit students from groups underrepresented in the technician workforce including women and racial and ethnic minorities. Additionally, advancements in the understanding of technical education for service industries are shared through ATE Central and at regional and national 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.