This project focuses on the implementation of an educational context for students to develop a meaningful set of competencies recently developed by the American Chemical Society (ACS). They are collectively known as the Voluntary Standards for the Chemical Process Industries Technical Workers. the U. S. Department of Education. These standards, described in "Foundations for Excellence in the Chemical Process Industries", identify 8 major work areas containing 564 industry-based competencies based on actual tasks performed by laboratory technicians. The new curriculum at Athens Areas Technical Institution in chemical technology integrates industry-based competencies into a workplace context for the education of chemical technicians. Specifically, the project is working with (1) Athens Waterworks and Olin Chemical Company to develop a basic scenario on the chemistry of aqueous systems: (2) Hoechst Celanese to develop a quality and process control laboratory associated the polymer synthesis; (3) Athens waterworks and Olin Chemical Company to develop a quality and process control laboratory for metal recovery; and (4) Hoechst Celanese to develop a quality control laboratory associated with a pharmaceutical company. Three of the four fully developed scenarios are being tested with students at Athens Area Technical Institution. The project is mapping a complete two-year program that includes outlines of seven workplace scenarios with their associated competencies. Dr. Kenneth Hughes at Kennesaw State University is developing the scenarios working closely with Dr. Hofstader to include appropriate components of the ACS Voluntary Standards and with Dr. White in the design, implementation, and testing of each scenario.
