Preparing Manufacturing Technicians for the Challenges of Industry 4.0

Due to the fast pace of technological advancements in the manufacturing industry, employers have identified a need for more highly-trained manufacturing technicians. Desired skills for manufacturing technicians now include data acquisition, computer integration, machine maintenance, and troubleshooting. This project from Edgecombe Community College (ECC) will align the existing Manufacturing Technology degree and Electrical Systems Technology diploma with the current and emerging Industry 4.0 needs of local manufacturing employers in Edgecombe County and an adjacent jurisdiction, Nash County. Over this three-year project, ECC plans to recruit and enroll up to twenty students who will be on track to complete these programs, and obtain industry recognized credentials along the way. ECC faculty will participate in certified professional development from the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) to better prepare them to enhance the curriculum at ECC. Through continuing education classes, ECC will engage with incumbent manufacturing technicians who are in need of re-skilling. To address the under- and unemployment of populations in Edgecombe and Nash counties who are underrepresented in their pursuit of careers in manufacturing, the college will collaborate with the Tar River Area Boys and Girls Club to actively recruit teens with an aptitude towards technical and science topics, specifically Black male teens, and on-site mentoring with peer student mentors.

The overall goal of this project is to meet the needs of manufacturing employers in Edgecombe and Nash counties with respect to emerging workforce skills in maintenance and troubleshooting. ECC intends to grow the skilled technical workforce with recruitment efforts that will include under-employed incumbent manufacturing workers and high school graduates. These students will benefit from a focused STEM curriculum tailored towards the data-intensive needs of Industry 4.0 which relies increasingly on smart sensors, cloud computing, data acquisition, and cloud analytics. ECC intends to enroll forty to sixty individuals over three years and engage ECC faculty to complete the training necessary to deliver this curriculum. Each cohort of high school students and incumbent workers will be able to complete five courses in the first year of this project, which can ultimately result in a Manufacturing Technology degree. Students may gain additional relevant experience as they participate in available internships. Initial course completers may be eligible to enter the workforce or continue to complete the Manufacturing Technology or Electrical Systems Technology degree program. Through an actively engaged Advisory Board, ECC faculty and administration will pursue additional workforce engagement opportunities to ultimately improve employment outcomes for ECC students.