The NSF-funded Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (CAAT) advances the mission of the ATE program by connecting industry and academia to ensure that education programs meet the needs and expected outcomes for technicians within the many sectors of the automotive industry. As the automotive industry continues its radical transformation, fuel efficiency, minimized environmental impact and safety are the driving factors surrounding new car design. These newly developed features are shifting the skillset for technicians sought after by employers. CAAT expands its existing framework to include additional technology areas by seed funding other colleges to create and implement new curricula. The CAAT is building an automotive technology learning environment that extends well beyond the campus at Macomb Community College. The Center advances life-long educational attainment, working with a range of age groups to engage people in advance technology - increasing awareness of high school students to consider technician education, encouraging certificate and degree attainment at the community college, promoting transfer to four-year institutions and supporting professionals who desire more training. CAAT also serves as a convener of business and educational institutions meetings and provides professional development to community college and high school educators. CAAT provides a smooth transition to the Wayne State University Electric Transportation Technology program and Wayne State is constructing the Advanced Technology Education Center (ATEC) on the Macomb South Campus which will house an Advanced Battery Systems Laboratory jointly developed by the two institutions.
CAAT's Industry Advisory Council requested consideration of the following actions: continuing the vehicle electrification focus; increasing educational resources on diesels; strengthening curricula in the advances being made in internal combustion engines and homogeneous charge compression ignitions; training existing technicians in electrical and software applications of automotive vehicle features; and emphasizing the need to utilize total systems thinking for diagnosis and problem solving of modern vehicles.
The formative and summative evaluations emphasize strategic linkages between organizational planning and evaluation, specific goals and outcomes for the purpose of measuring impact, and data use for continuous improvement. As the evaluation moves from awareness/reaction to impact (using the Kirkpatrick model) it measures the extent to which the work of CAAT is consistent with their proposal, that the work is meeting or exceeding the target numbers of products, participants, contributions and that the work is positively impacting the desired audiences. Each measure has target goals, such as 90% of participants in professional development found that the workshop provided techniques, skills or materials of value to them; 75% of participants believe that their teaching knowledge and skills are improved; and 30% apply the ideas and report positive impact on their students. The data will be gathered through surveys, site visits, telephone interviews and evaluations of workshops. The data are used to revise the interventions.
CAAT's demonstrably successful program is focused on Associate Degree level, middle-skills jobs in advanced automotive technologies. This automotive technology education has been so impactful in the Great Lakes region and beyond.
