Advancing Industrial and Manufacturing Technician Education through Artificial Intelligence

This project aims to develop a transformative approach to technician education that integrates robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing into a supportive student success framework. The project will address regional workforce shortages in southern New Mexico and will support economic development in the El Paso-Las Cruces corridor. The project's emphasis on hands-on learning, mentoring, and credentialing will expand access to high-demand careers for students who might not pursue traditional four-year degrees. The project will draw on a robust body of research. By engaging early college and dual-credit students, the project will strengthen the technician pipeline. It will use a three-tiered model ("Explorers," "Pathfinders," "Innovators") designed to recruit students into technician pathways, retain them through mentoring and project-based learning, and support completion through industry-recognized credentials. Curricula built around industry-relevant technologies will support three synergistic laboratories: Coding and Robotics, Integrated AI and Robotics, and 3D Printing and Prototyping. Project activities will scaffold experiential learning (coding, AI-driven system integration, and additive and subtractive manufacturing), credential attainment, and workforce readiness for students in Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree programs. Faculty will engage in professional development to ensure support for students at every stage. An industry-led advisory board will further ensure the curriculum's alignment with the needs of the workforce. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program, which 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.