The Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA) and Gateway Community College (GWCC) are implementing the Mechanical and Manufacturing Technologies for Energy and Sustainability (MET2) Program. MET2 engages a diverse group of community college and university students and faculty in industry-driven projects focused on mechanical/manufacturing engineering technology, with emphasis on energy and sustainability. The project cuts across technologies such as mechatronics, nanotechnology and green manufacturing, and brings together numerous industry and education partners to ensure broad stakeholder representation and involvement. MET2 develops and strengthens the innovation pipeline from high schools to community colleges and universities, leading ultimately to the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) technician workforce. The project is designed to attract and engage students from groups that are underrepresented in STEM disciplines and to foster their interest in the pursuit of careers in technology and engineering. In addition, MET2 includes veterans who are provided with a supportive Veterans Oasis at the participating community colleges.
MET2 integrates professional skills, including entrepreneurial skills, leadership development and innovation, in industry-driven problem-based projects. It expands on the Life Support and Sustainable Living (LSSL) Program, a successful NSF-funded program that received the ATE High Impact Technology Exchange Conference's Innovative Program Award at the 2012 HI-TEC Conference in Denver, Colorado.
The primary goals of MET2 are to: (1) develop an engineering, technology and business skills-based curriculum including business model development and professional skills, for engineering and technical disciplines; (2) engage community college and university students in a team-based learning environment with the opportunity to solve real-world challenges, from conceptualization to final design; (3) engage technical high school students in an outreach program to create and strengthen a career pipeline in technology and engineering disciplines; and (4) provide professional development for technical high school, community college and university faculty on technical and professional skills. Assessment and evaluation include input from students, faculty and industry stakeholders to determine the extent to which the program is successful in creating networking opportunities that connect the program to the workforce; implementing mentoring activities that positively impact participants' formal engineering and technology academic performance; leading to sustained entrepreneurial activities in engineering and technology programs in Connecticut's technical high schools, community colleges and partner universities; and increasing enrollment of underrepresented students in engineering and technology programs at Connecticut's community colleges and universities.
