Preparing a skilled technical workforce to meet regional workforce needs supports the Nation's competitiveness. Microtechnologies and nanotechnologies are needed in a broad range of products and industries. The primary purpose of the project is to broaden engineering technician education to prepare technicians to work in the microsystems industry. This project is designing and implementing a Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (Microsystems) Certificate for students enrolled in engineering technology or electrical engineering technology associate degree programs, as well as preparing them for LabVIEW certification (Laboratory Virtual Instrument Engineering Workbench, for data acquisition, instrument control, and industrial automation). Microsystems and LabVIEW certificates are supplementing and complementing associate degrees in engineering technology, creating broader employment opportunities for technicians and preparing a competent workforce for the microsystems industry. The Microsystems certificate and LabVIEW preparation created for this project are easily replicable in engineering technology programs in each of other regions in the state through the Ivy Tech System and in community colleges in other states. The college is continuing its partnership with SCME, adding a community college focus to their resources. This continuing partnership is assuring that the resources produced are being made available through the SCME national education and information dissemination channels. Project outreach activities include those specially designed to attract and retain to the program under-represented minorities, females, and veterans who already make-up a significant percentage of students at the college.
This project builds on an NSF ATE grant (1205138) to the Southwest Center for Microsystems Education (SCME). As a result, eleven hands-on educational course modules and kits produced by SCME are being integrated into engineering technology courses at the college. In this project the college and SME are co-developing three additional course modules and kits focused on building microsystems, which complement the learning modules developed by SCME. The college is also integrating preparation for the LabVIEW certification test into the new microsystems courses, providing technicians with the opportunity to graduate with two certifications in addition to an associate degree, which makes them more marketable. The new courses are increasing the capacity of community colleges to produce technicians for a wide variety of micro- and nano-technology related industries. An introductory microsystems course is being offered for dual credit in high schools to introduce high school students to microsystems concepts and careers. Students receive actual clean room experience each semester through field trips to either Norte Dame University or the University of Michigan, both located within a two and a half hour drive from the college.
Micro and nano-technologies are found in a wide range of products made by major employers in the state including Advanced Surface Microscopy, Bangs Laboratories, Delphi Corporation, Eli Lilly and Co, Guidant Corp, Exelis, J&S Resource Management, M4 Sciences, Makuta Technics, MicroTechNano, MonoSo, Prosolla, QuadraSpec, Semafore Pharmaceuticals, and Sensor Advanced Development. Although the integrated circuits (IC) industry saw a two percent decline overall in 2012, the research by Yole Development showed that the microsystems sector grew by 10 percent to become an $11B business. Analysts expect a 12-13 percent compound annual growth rate through 2018 to create a $22.5B microsystems market. The use of microsystems and integrated circuits is crucial to the design and development of new products. Common examples include accelerometers, pressure transducers, inertial sensors, micro fluidic pumps and flow sensors. The introduction of microsystems technology via the proposed course modules and kits, and those already developed by SCME, provides a unique opportunity for students to learn engineering concepts in an easy to see fashion while exposing them to design and fabrication techniques which are currently being used in many microsystems industries.
