Manufacturing Certifications for Rural High School Students through Community College Dual Enrollment

North Florida, like other rural areas, must adequately prepare the next generation of skilled technicians in the sector of advanced manufacturing because local manufacturing companies require highly qualified and skilled manufacturing and engineering technicians with appropriate soft skills to be successful. Participants who secure high-paying jobs can support themselves and contribute to the growth and prosperity of the community. This project at North Florida Community College (NFCC) is designed to develop an advanced manufacturing dual enrollment project with Madison County high school students. The project will result in career pathways leading from two local high schools to the community college to employment as technicians. This project will include dual enrollment (DE), career and technical education (CTE), industry partnerships, and soft skills development. This unique combination of project components is designed to meet the specific needs of rural high school students and rural manufacturing companies. Project findings will be widely disseminated throughout Florida and can serve as a model for other rural communities throughout the United States. A comprehensive evaluation will be conducted to document successes and guide project development. 

The goal of the project is to recruit and educate underrepresented (rural, first-generation in college, minority) high school students who will graduate with strong soft skills and successful completion of the Automation and Production Technology (APT) course including the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) Certified Production Technician (CPT) credential. The APT program is comprised of four components and the project participants will complete each of the four components during subsequent semesters.The college plans to use summer hands-on workshops in robotics, 3D printing, and SolidWorks to introduce the project to potential students. Central to the project will be the development of employer-sought soft skills including team-building and problem-solving. Project participants will be involved in scenarios that require them to solve unfamiliar problems, communicate effectively, assume leadership or follower roles, work collaboratively, and think critically. Industry partners will interact with students through classroom visits and facility tours. NFCC has the commitment of industry partners to provide program support including tours of manufacturing facilities, guest speakers and content lecturers, mock interviews, and hiring opportunities to students who successfully complete the program. Secondary-postsecondary team teaching will provide professional development to expose all instructors to both high school and college environments. The professional development component, during which high school and college faculty team teach, will strengthen the bond between these two sectors of the educational community as well as model the skills essential for collaborative work. The MSSC CPT certification will translate into 15 credit hours toward the newly developed AS Degree in Engineering Technology at the college or elsewhere in the Florida College System. This will provide a pathway to a baccalaureate degree and higher skilled employment for students.