AMTEC Institute for Industry 4.0 Innovation (AI3)

According to the 2018 Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute Skills Gap and the Future of Work study, artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, automation, analytics, and the Internet of Things are emerging to transform the world of work and are likely to create even more jobs than they replace. The study further reveals that an estimated 2.4 million positions will be unfilled between 2018-2028 due to three primary causes – shifting skill sets occurring due to advanced technologies and automation (Industry 4.0), the misperception of manufacturing jobs, and the retirement of baby boomers. The hardest to fill jobs will be comprised of those that require technical or hands-on applied training and in some cases, licensing and certification. More importantly, over the next decade, the manufacturing industry will require a whole new set of skills as a result of the digital transformation impacting the industry. introducing future technicians to Industry 4.0 concepts will be critically important for two-year colleges across the country. This project aims to address these challenges by focusing on the need for manufacturing technicians who are skilled in Industry 4.0 concepts and skills and promoting a diverse, highly skilled, and globally competitive workforce for Kentucky and the nation. The project will: 1) Develop and offer a professional development series on Industry 4.0 and related best practices to secondary and postsecondary instructors from across the United States that will expose them to the latest Industry 4.0 technologies used in today’s advanced manufacturing sector, and 2) Provide ongoing guidance that leads to the incorporation of the information acquired through attending professional development offerings into the curriculum and classrooms of those participating in training. One expected outcome will be increasing the number of youth and underserved students who pursue advanced manufacturing education and careers by providing educators with the knowledge and tools to engage them in Industry 4.0 learning experiences. Project results will be widely disseminated to educators, industry, and government leaders across Kentucky and the nation, who are interested in increasing Industry 4.0 competencies in secondary and postsecondary education, as well as diverse participation in education and careers in manufacturing. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.