Visualizing our Community College Programs

The Hidden Innovation Infrastructure is an NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) research project (2026262) that aims to define the “hidden innovation ecosystems or infrastructures” that evolve from ATE grants and community college technical programs. It also intends to inform regional economic development efforts. Additionally, findings are expected to contribute to the national conversations about the impacts of the community college workforce education ecosystems on regional labor markets.

The project goals include an ambitious, qualitative study of ATE-educated technicians at their workplaces and in the regional economy.  The key activities of the project define the various data sources that will studied.  These include deep dive studies with NSF ATE regional projects; analysis of past and current ATE grants for impact on economic development; and nationally available student and industry data. Looking at the national data sets, the project team has developed a visualization tool to facilitate comparisons and review trends.  The visualization tool/web application is very simple to use and reveals the number of technician graduates in a particular technician program or programs across the country, across a state, or across several states as desired.  It uses IPEDS data to allow users to view the evolution of technician production since 1995. This tool will support the project but can also assist colleges and systems in identifying potential areas of skill needs by displaying the graduates per year.  This visualization can help with the understanding of how programs have evolved over time and help with decision making about programs they might want to consider offering and ones they might want to consider closing.

The web application user can select to show completers of 2-year programs; 4-year degrees; a less than 1 year certificate; 3-year programs or any combination of these. To be sure, it is focused on the technician sectors that are considered advanced technologies and is funded by the NSF ATE program. Within that domain, it uses four-digit Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) codes for all programs that (1) are NOT healthcare related; (2) contain the word “technician” in CIP family 15 (Engineering), 41 (Science technologies/technicians), 47 (mechanic and repair technologies and four-digit 48.05 (precision metal working). Exceptions include CIP families for biological and biomedical sciences, parks, recreation, leisure and fitness, homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, library science, construction trades, people, personal and culinary services, and public administration. It also doesn’t include six-digit CIPS for upholstery, shoe, boot and leather repair, leatherworking and upholstery-other, gunsmithing, locksmithing and safe repair. All those eliminated are outside the definitions of advanced technologies that are funded through this NSF program.

Observed trends reveal some patterns and/or trends that indicate declining, diverging, expanding, static, spiking, and/or saturated trends. Supplemented with knowledge about regional, state or national industry sector trends, the tool can support college decisions to build a new or enhance an existing, or even phase out a particular program. Below is a sample output for a simple data request for Electromechanical, Instrumentation and Maintenance Technicians and Industrial Production Technicians at the national level for associate degrees only. You can visit the project website to learn more about the Hidden Innovation NSF ATE project explore the Number of Technician Data Visualization Tool here. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at FLATE part of the FloridaMakes Network (serving as co-PI of this NSF project), or the team at Rutgers Education and Employment Research Center.