The development of a diverse, globally competitive advanced manufacturing workforce is critical to US stability and growth. Major areas of focus for the Regional Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (RCNGM) have been to change negative perceptions of manufacturing careers and to increase the participation and success of historically underrepresented minorities, women, and veterans in the technical workforce. RCNGM has created nationally-recognized materials for educators, career counselors, students, and parents that focus on choosing community colleges as a next step to high paying careers in manufacturing. With support of this award, RCNGM plans to establish an NSF ATE Resource Center. RCNGM will broaden its partnerships by expanding community college/industry partnerships throughout the Northeast, specifically in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and by partnering with the National Coalition for Advanced Technology Centers and the National Association for Workforce Improvement.
The RCNGM Resource Center will provide exemplary resources for advanced manufacturing online learning via online tools (website, webinars, and social media), as well as through regional and national professional conferences that engage the RCNGM's stakeholders. These resources will assist current and prospective principal investigators to identify and implement successful materials and strategies for creating career pathways that include certificates and degrees that include stackable credentials and multiple entry/exit points. The Resource Center will also foster industry, business, and academic partnerships by increasing the availability and variety of exemplary, industry-driven advanced manufacturing curricula that emphasize both technical and professional skills. The Resource Center will promote advanced manufacturing careers with a focus on modernizing the image of manufacturing careers and disseminating successful models for recruiting and retaining students in advanced manufacturing. Finally, the Resource Center will coordinate and support regional and national industry, business, and academic partnerships that have the potential to create a sustainable network for advancing manufacturing programs at community colleges nationwide. This project is funded by the NSF Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
