The five-college Consortium for Alabama Regional Center for Automotive Manufacturing (CARCAM) expands to nine colleges and builds on previous work to develop and implement a sustainable educational delivery system to educate the region's next generation of motivated, multi-skilled technicians for the automotive-related manufacturing industry. State-wide partnerships are leveraged to produce process-oriented technical education programs that emphasize 21st century skills and problem-solving methods as well as integrate aspects of modern production systems and sustainable, lean /green manufacturing, automated control systems and mechatronics. Building on collaborations with other ATE projects and centers, governmental agencies and professional societies, automotive and related manufacturing technical courses and professional development are redesigned so they can be delivered effectively via hybrid and distance education. Career coach programs, summer camps and social networking applications are used to increase student awareness and interest in career pathway options and manufacturing degrees. The evaluation plan measures increases in student enrollment, degree completion and dissemination of successful practices.
CARCAM: Preparing for Economic Rebirth, DUE #1003203 The Consortium for Alabama Regional Center for Automotive Manufacturing (CARCAM) is a vital resource in Alabama that upholds the vision of NSF ATE to educate skilled technicians for the technology-based fields that drive the nation’s economy. Automotive and advanced manufacturing technologies are the focus of CARCAM’s work and outreach. CARCAM is a leader in developing and sustaining collaborative partnerships with industry and education. Since its inception in 2005, CARCAM has generated clear, measurable impacts on the quantity, quality, and diversity of the automotive and advanced manufacturing workforce in Alabama and the Southern United States. Gadsden State Community College is CARCAM’s fiscal agent and its regional college partners include: Bevill State Community College Calhoun Community College Central Alabama Community College Drake State Community and Technical College Gadsden State Community College Jefferson State Community College Lawson State Community College Shelton State Community College Southern Union State Community College Trenholm State Technical College Wallace State Community College - Hanceville CARCAM’s mission is to respond to rapid advanced manufacturing sector growth by establishing and implementing innovative methods to develop a highly-skilled, diverse technician workforce and offer state-of-the-art professional development. Through its 11 partner college networks and dedicated faculty, CARCAM continues to provide a comprehensive educational solution to meeting the technician employment needs of the state and the region. (See attached map of partner college locations) CARCAM offers industry-validated programs, curriculum, and the model AUT (Automotive Manufacturing Technology) degree (Attached image contains detail on the AUT degree courses). The Center develops and promotes career awareness and pathways information for the automotive and advanced manufacturing technology fields; and facilitates articulation between secondary, postsecondary, and university education programs and systems. In addition, CARCAM delivers ongoing faculty professional development in the latest technologies related to advanced and automotive manufacturing. Finally, CARCAM advances innovative, successful student engagement and recruitment activities such as STEM/Robotics camps, and BEST Robotics and SkillsUSA competitions. Intellectual Merit: CARCAM has: 1. Spearheaded the development of pioneering multi-system approaches to online curricula, flexible program design, and stackable, portable credentialing that enable the educational goals/needs of highly-skilled work-ready technicians. 2. Provided smoother transitions for students transferring to 4-year colleges and universities with a seamless program of knowledge and skills, co-developed by 2-year advanced technological centers and colleges enhancing student learning, retention, and success. 3. Modeled and sustained exemplary partnerships to respond to emerging and evolving employer needs through real-time curriculum and program updates producing work ready employees. 4. Offered creative, timely professional development opportunities which address adapting to the changing needs of advanced manufacturing technologies for secondary and postsecondary faculty, and for incumbent workers. Broader Impacts: CARCAM 1. Leverages its leadership position and ATE connections to become the comprehensive, industry-recognized regional source for statewide and federal workforce development initiatives, with its curriculum integrated into K-12 and the community college system. 2. Serves as the industry liaison with the Alabama Departments of Education (Secondary and Postsecondary), and the Governor’s Office for Workforce Development, to design and implement seamless career pathways for a statewide education-to-work continuum. 3. Helps expand and promote the innovative Career Coach initiative in Alabama to support student awareness of STEM education opportunities and student success preparing for the world of work. 4. Collaborates effectively with leading ATE Centers such as AMTEC, FLATE, and CA2VES, to leverage expertise and funding in the ATE community. See the attached "Statewide Curriculum and Degree Program Review Processes Best Practices Guide" collaboratively produced with FLATE. 5. Has a national and international footprint through partnerships with both local industry/employers and overseas automotive manufacturers in Japan, Korea, and Germany who turn to CARCAM to provide them with the highly-skilled technicians required at their plants in the Southern Automotive Corridor. CARCAM has grown to operate more and more at policy and system change levels. The foundational work and success of CARCAM have enabled the Center to lead with forward looking and integrated approaches to meeting the technician workforce needs of both Alabama and the region. The leadership of CARCAM strives to continually improve and enhance activities, grow partnerships and new collaborations, and expand contributions for the greater community of students and faculty.
