A Process Map For State Wide Engineering Technology /Manufacturing Technology Curriculum Reform

Over the period of three years, FLATE, the National Science Foundation-funded Florida Advanced Technological Education Center for Manufacturing, has undertaken reform of Florida’s Associate in Science (A.S.) and Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees associated with manufacturing and related technologies. This reform has resulted in a statewide degree in Engineering Technology with a common technology core, based on a national certification, and five specialization tracks to meet local needs. There are a number of benefits to this change or consolidation of Engineering Technology 2-year programs in Florida. These include: 1) A degree program that meets manufacturers’ skills and knowledge competencies related to foundational skills in engineering technology. 2) All Community Colleges in the State can market jointly to students and industry employers with a common degree program and certification; 3) Completion of the common technology core creates a portable completion point that allows students to transfer within the community college system to an institution with their desired specialization; 4) The national certification utilized, MSSC’s Certified Production Technician (CPT), assesses a student/worker’s foundational skill and knowledge in four broad areas common to all manufacturing sectors: Manufacturing Processes and Production; Quality Assurance; Maintenance Awareness; and Safety. This certification is portable across manufacturing sectors and has been defined by industry; 5) Selecting the MSSC competencies to inform and anchor the curricular frameworks of the degree core allows currency, precision, relevance and abundant competencies; and, 6) The utilization of a national certification to inform the as a curricular framework common technology core has enabled the creation of a statewide articulation pathway from the secondary system, technical schools and incumbent worker training programs into the new degree. The multi-year process through which FLATE worked to outline, analyze, evaluate, and change the statewide system based on national standards and assessments, as well as students’ abilities and needs required engagement of essential stakeholders through out the state, including but not limited to: Florida’s Community Colleges, Florida Department of Education, Manufacturers, Workforce Florida, State and Regional Manufacturers Associations, and Economic Developers. Presented herein is the process map for facilitating this reform via review of existing frameworks, coordinating the statewide curriculum team, hosting workshops, soliciting industry input, selection of national certification, developing the new frameworks for the engineering technology core courses, and institutionalization within the Department of Education. The process for conducting this reform could be applied to any technical career cluster to facilitate relevant degree programs and articulation pathways.