Advancements in the fields of automated manufacturing, industrial engineering, telecommunications, and electronics in the state of Alabama have placed a challenge on the state's technical and community colleges. To meet this challenge, 16 two-year colleges have formed the Alabama College System Microelectronics Consortium in partnership with the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA). EDPA is an alliance of 67 leading business and industry companies committed to supporting quality economic growth in the state. Traditional engineering, electronics, telecommunications and manufacturing programs are not adequate to prepare students for occupations in the high performance workplace of the future. The shortage of highly trained engineering technicians impacts the state's ability to keep its existing industries competitive and to attract new industry to the state. Community and technical colleges must play a major role in eliminating the shortage of highly trained technicians in response to current and future industry needs. However, the cost of advanced engineering-related programs limits the ability of any one college to effectively meet the demands of a rapidly changing workplace.
The ACETEA Consortium (Alabama Colleges for Engineering Technology Educational Advancement) is a joint effort of two-year colleges and engineering technology employers from throughout Alabama. The Consortium's purpose is providing a statewide approach to the preparation (education and training) of technicians in both traditional and specialized fields of engineering technology. Through innovative and flexible strategies, the Consortium is educating and training the work force for new, electronic based, advanced engineering technology fields. These fields include electromechanical automation (robotics), electronic manufacturing, instrumentation/data acquisition, aerospace electronics, informational technology, networking (WAN & LAN), and computer maintenance. The ACETEA Consortium is developing advanced engineering technology programs that begin with a common core curriculum in engineering technology. Each college is offering two to five advanced technology specialties that match the needs of industry in its region of the state. This regional approach is resulting in a statewide upgrade of current science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculum; enabling colleges to grow with industry and meet the future needs of the high performance workplace; providing upgrade training to current industry employees; strengthening engineering technology education throughout the state at the secondary, associate degree, and baccalaureate level; nurturing new teaching methodologies in the classroom, laboratory, and workplace; and attracting many students to engineering technology programs including low-income, minority and other underrepresented groups.
