2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This project supported by NSF ATE (award #2202107) aims to serve the national interest by addressing the shortage of technicians with the skills to maintain programable logic controllers (PLCs) and robots in the service industries. The program at Vaughn College provides a PLC and Robotic Automation (PRA) Technician Certificate with 13 credits. It will educate technicians for positions in service industries such as wholesale and retail, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and airport baggage and cargo handling [1][2][3]. Moreover, all credits earned through the certificate program are transferable to the college's Mechatronic Engineering program. Vaughn College, a Hispanic-Serving Institution, places a strong emphasis on recruiting students from low-income families and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. This certificate program reduces the financial burden and time commitment necessary for students to pursue education, granting them the means to pursue advanced degrees or provide support to other family members seeking greater opportunities.

The goal of the project is to create a one-year certificate program to provide PRA Technicians with the skills they need for employment in service industries. To ensure graduates of the program have the desired qualifications, the project (a) collaborates with its Business and Industry Leadership Team (BILT) to determine the service industry needs and develop a curriculum to meet those needs; (b) supports faculty to be trained and obtain industry certifications; (c) recruits both high-school graduates, incumbent workers and college students using newly developed informational materials. Also, by partnering with the college’s existing mechatronic program to recruit female and racial and ethnic minorities into the program, diversity in the PRA Technician workforce will be increased. Advancements in the understanding of technical education for service industries are shared through ATE (Advanced Technological Education) Central and at regional and national conferences [4].