Central Maine Technical College and stakeholders from the manufacturing sector of the New England region are creating a Regional Advanced Machining Partnership (RAMP) to: 1) develop an advanced machining certificate; 2) provide faculty development in advanced machining; and 3) disseminate proven practices for student recruitment. The project builds on a successful prior ATE project in which the PIs developed a Virtual Ideation Platform (VIP) that enables faculty and their students to design and develop product concepts and the requisite curricula virtually over the internet. The certificate being created is highly modularized, transportable and meeting NIMS certification. This curriculum can be nested within the Manufacturing Institute's Skill Standard Certification endorsed by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). The program supports multiple points of entry and exit, and creates additional pathways through articulation with other technology programs.
The project contributes to the development of a competent workforce for the manufacturing industry by providing the technical skills that the students need to succeed and by creating a partnership model that can be replicated in other parts of the country. The project has a strong focus on recruitment and retention of underrepresented students including women, which contributes to the diversity of the workforce.
