Jackson College Interdisciplinary Program in Manufacturing

The Jackson College Interdisciplinary Program in Manufacturing will seek to develop and foster growth in the advanced manufacturing and hi-tech workforce in the Mid-Michigan area by developing training and programming that integrate fabrication technology with automation technology. The project will address the need for skilled workers who understand both how parts are fabricated, welded, and machined as well as how systems can be automated using robotics, computers, and artificial intelligence. A key goal of this project will be to engage with underserved populations including minority, rural, low-income, and adult students in order to promote opportunity within the Mid-Michigan regional community. The project will develop a new certificate program that leads to an A.A.S. in Advanced Manufacturing Degree. This new program will bring in emerging technology which bridges the gap between these two disciplines, including autonomous mobile robots and collaborative welding robots. It will also build curriculum that combines the systematic thinking utilized in the field of automation with issues of quality control, design, process, and material handling that are considered in the field of fabrication. It will use a competency-based education and project-based learning approach to ensure that students are exposed to a broad range of advanced technologies. Workshops will be held for regional secondary education STEM teachers and local community members in order to disseminate and facilitate the growth of expertise in fabrication and automation skills in the region. 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.