2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Manufacturing companies struggle with a lack of technical leadership on the shop floor. They seek workers who can proactively initiate problem-solving and process improvement for more efficient and effective production. A new class of workers could fill this crucial role: “technologists”, the technician-engineer workers who combine hands-on skills and an analytical mindset. The need for technologists has been created by the misalignment between the needs of industry and the current workforce development training in the United States. Traditional manufacturing training focused on industry-specific technology and equipment. Such trends become rapidly obsolete with the fast-paced advancements in technology, leaving workers unable to keep pace with new skill requirements. A deeper focus on training that allows workers to gain an understanding of the “why” behind manufacturing disciplines is necessary for them to engage in innovative problem-solving, and fosters lifelong learning of new skills as manufacturing processes evolve.

To address this need, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts at Lowell, Clemson University, Ohio State University, community colleges, and industry partners developed the one-year Technologist Advanced Manufacturing Program (TechAMP) to improve workforce development training for the Department of Defense’s industrial base. Training new technologists requires not only the education programs for the technicians, but also an understanding of why technicians choose to participate in career development. Despite the need to develop manufacturing technician talent, there is little research about how work experience influences career development choices among technicians. To address this gap, this study uses Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) to examine the processes involved in career exploration and decision-making in the first cohort of technicians enrolled in the TechAMP Program.

In the Fall of 2025, this program was launched in six sites, with an initial number of 82 students. In this paper, we present the results from the beginning-of-the-program survey and mid-semester interviews to examine the students’ career motivations, reasons for enrolling in the program, and their content knowledge related to the program’s curriculum. Due to attrition and one site starting in December, 64 students are included in this analysis. The data reveal a diverse range of professional experience among students, with educational backgrounds spanning vocational certificates to bachelor’s degrees. While many students hold high school or associate-level credentials, their motivations for joining the program are rooted in aspirations for career advancement, personal enrichment, and intellectual curiosity. Early-career participants tend to draw on external sources of influence, including mentors and family support, when making career decisions, whereas more experienced professionals are guided by accumulated job experiences and place greater emphasis on autonomy and financial security. Despite these distinctions, job security consistently emerges as a central priority across all stages of professional experience. Additionally, the absence of a relationship between years of experience and baseline knowledge related to the program’s curriculum highlights a significant skills gap, emphasizing the need for intentional, competency-based training to address this disconnect. Understanding who the students are will help us better support them during the program and inform assessments, future iterations of the curriculum, and interventions.