2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Board 313: Industry 4.0 Engineering Technology Skill Integration into Florida’s Technical Workforce Environment

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session

Industry 4.0 based systems and subsystems are replacing current process and process control equipment in Florida’s manufacturing environment. The Florida State College System Engineering Technology (ET) degree pathway for developing engineering technology professionals is responding to this reality at the ET two-year associate degree, the 4-year ET B.S. degree, and post graduate degrees as well as a statewide recognized path to the Professional Engineers license in Engineering Technology.

The National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education program (NSF-ATE) supports this effort. NSF-ATE assets provided to FLATE, and five partner colleges are directed to the formation of a statewide advisory board for the 20 colleges that offer ET degrees as well supporting six overarching Florida ET education system target goals:

(1) Adjust Florida Department of Education Standards and Benchmarks to include criteria that address Florida manufacturer identified Industry 4.0 skills gap in its technical workforce.
(2) Create a statewide streamlined seamless articulation environment from the Engineering Technology A.S. to B.S. degree programs.
(3) Provide Professional Development that up-skill Engineering Technology Degree faculty as related to identified Industry 4.0 technician skill needs.
(4) Create a short-term ET College Credit Certificate to prepare current and future technicians to apply these new skills in the manufacturing workspace.
(5) Amplify manufacturers' involvement with college engineering technology certificate and A.S.ET degree programs.
(6) Create a Post-A.S. Curriculum Advanced Technology Certificate (ATC) to facilitate skilled technician professional advancement.

Statewide implementation of the curriculum changes is key to more robust programs and more work-ready technician graduates. This paper and presentation poster will share the strategies the project team is using to achieve its goals and objectives. It will also share the feedback received from industry relative to industry 4.0 skills needed in their facilities.

Authors

Dr. Marilyn Barger P.E. FLATE (Florida Advanced Technological Education Center of Excellence) [biography]

Dr. Marilyn Barger is the Senior Educational Advisor of FLATE, the Florida Advanced Technological Education Center, part of FloridaMakes, the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Center in Florida. Previously FLATE was founded by Dr. Barger and funded by the National Science Foundations Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) as a Regional Center of Excellence. FLATE’s mission is to support manufacturing education in K-14 programs through outreach, professional development, curriculum reform and technician research. She earned a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering/Environmental from the University of South Florida and served on the Engineering faculty at Hofstra University and the FSU-FAMU College of Engineering. Dr. Barger has authored over 50 papers for presentations on engineering and technology education, serves on several national advisory boards for CTE and workforce education initiatives and is a Fellow of American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). Dr. Barger holds a licensed patent and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Florida.
Dr. Ron Eaglin Daytona State College [biography]

Professor - Daytona State College of Technology
Prof. Sam Ajlani [biography]

Master's degree in Industrial Systems Engineering from the University of Florida. 30 Years of Experience in Manufacturing as a technician, Maintenance Manager, Plant Engineer, Division Engineer, and Corporate Project Engineer. 17 years teaching Engineeri
Dr. Mori Toosi [biography]

Thirty five (35) years experiences in higher education. Began teaching mechanical engineering, and manufacturing related courses at Murray State University in Murray Kentucky in 1984 for two years. Starting 1986 till 2015 first as assistant professor, and
Mr. Sidney E Martin III http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5983-2309 Saint Petersburg Junior College [biography]

Program Director at St. Petersburg College
Dr. Richard Gilbert University of South Florida [biography]

Richard Gilbert is a Professor of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of South Florida's College of Engineering . Richard is the Co-PI for the grant that supports the NSF designated Center of Excellence for Advanced Technological Educat
Susan Frandsen

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