Certifying Future Robotics Technicians in Middle Tennessee

The Manufacturing Institute foresees that the combination of an aging workforce and a technician and skills shortage will quickly leave two million vacant manufacturing jobs in the United States. A regional need has been identified for skilled robotics technicians in the Middle Tennessee area. Columbia State Community College (CSCC) recognizes that limited access to local robotics training will not adequately meet the demand for skilled technicians in their service area. To address this growing need, the Certify Future Robotics Technicians project at CSCC and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) will facilitate and expedite both upskilling and new employment for students at CSCC by developing and implementing a robotics training program focused on gaining industry standard certifications while also earning college credit. This program provides graduates 16 hours of college credit and industry certifications from FANUC Robotics, Cognex Vision Systems, OSHA, and The Smart Automation Certification Alliance. These industry valued certifications will allow graduates to fill high-demand and high-wage technical positions quickly, with exceptional training setting them up to become future leaders in automation and robotics. CSCC serves a large diverse population of underrepresented rural and low-income students that will be able to enter the skilled technical workforce. The goal of this project is to establish a 1-year robotics certificate at CSCC. MTSU faculty will bring their extensive knowledge in robotics and automation through a partnership with CSCC. Eleven robotics modules will be developed to prepare students for industry certifications by bridging theoretical and practical learning methods. These modules will be divided into three fundamental areas: assembling, programming, and troubleshooting. CSCC will host and teach this new robotics program. The project will pair with the existing curriculum at CSCC and can easily be integrated into the 2-year Engineering Systems Technology program. Modules will be developed and vetted in 2024 during monthly meetings with industry partners. Additional adjunct faculty will be hired and trained in Fall 2024. The first group of students will enter the program in Spring 2025 and graduate by the end of 2025 with nationally recognized industry certifications and 16 hours of college coursework. Additional cohorts will enter the program as new students starting in the Spring of 2026. Hands on methods and classroom instruction will ensure that each student can perform programming, maintenance, setup, safety evaluations, and operations with different robotic systems. As a result, CSCC graduates can go directly into workplace settings with confidence. Industry partners in the CSCC service area have committed to using this program to upskill their current employees. Advisory board meetings will take place quarterly throughout the project. 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.