Adaptive Learning Environment for High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Geared towards the Energy Industry

This paper presents a project framework for the development of an adaptive learning environment to provide a wide range of students with the skills necessary to work in high value manufacturing (HVM) aimed at the energy industry. More specifically, it discusses a HVM certificate program being developed at Houston Community College (HCC) in collaboration with Texas A&M University (TAMU). The aim of the project is to create a sustainable certificate program in HVM that provides multiple pathways for community college students while meeting the critical workforce needs of a vital industry in Texas. The novelty of the certificate program includes innovative pedagogical methods, such as competency-based learning and skills need assessment and provision through online learning modules is presented; this allows students an adaptive and personalized education in this needed area. Upon completion of the certificate program, the community college students will have multiple pathways including: a) an A.S. at the Community College; b) transfer to four year institution; and c) return to industry to join the workforce. By incorporating a new co-educational paradigm between the community college and the university, as opposed to traditional articulation agreements, this project provides a novel pathway for community college students to transition to a four-year degree program. It also incorporates a new method for trying to ensure that community college students who matriculate to partner 4-year institutions receive reverse transfer credit for their associate degrees at their home community college. Furthermore, HVM modules are developed for high school students that are aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. Introduction The new boom in the energy sector is having very positive effect on manufacturing activities in Texas. U.S. census data from 2013 shows that Texas ranks first in the nation in terms of manufacturing exports ($250.4 billion) and manufacturing capital investment ($17.6 billion), and ranks second in the nation with respect to manufacturing employment (874,460) 1. A significant portion of this manufacturing activity is aimed at the oil and gas sector; manufacturing serves this sector in multiple ways. The direct applications of manufacturing in oil and gas sector are in refineries and petrochemical industries. Likewise, manufacturing of machines and the fabricated metal industries supply upstream exploration and production (E&P) operations. While there is a steady growth in the manufacturing sector within the energy industry, it is faced with the challenge of skilled workforce availability. Given the type of equipment used for oil and gas E&P is often high value, the manufacturing of this type of equipment and tooling requires a workforce with multifaceted skills. In this type of high value manufacturing, where a single component can be valued at tens of thousands of dollars, personnel must have expertise in various areas to meet customer demand under exacting time and quality constraints. To prepare such a workforce requires skills that span: design, materials, manufacturing processes, project management, quality, and logistics and supply chain management. These skills, aimed at the energy sector defined in this project as “high value manufacturing (HVM)” are very critical for technician level (both upstream and midstream) jobs due to globalized marketplace and recent developments in oil and gas drilling and production methodologies 2. Research shows that nearly 50% of the skilled workforce in petroleum industry could retire within next five years 3. One study 4 shows that the Houston metropolitan area had 117,000 manufacturing jobs in 2012 and that number is expected to grow very rapidly in the coming years. Although currently there is a down turn in oil and gas industry, it is expected that the demands for skilled workers in E&P and other supporting operations including manufacturing and logistics will increase over the long term 5. It is important to recognize that the energy E&P operations are a special kind of operations that largely follow manufacturing principles and best practices. Further, out of 1.3 million expected new oil and gas jobs by 2020, Kimrey 6 suggests that there will be high demand for such skillset as project controls, drafting and design,