FLATE to Present at the 2022 Engineering Technology Leaders Institute (ETLI)

The Florida Advanced Technological Education (FLATE) Center, a part of the FloridaMakes Network, will present at the 2022 Engineering Technology Leaders Institute (ETLI), hosted by the Engineering Technology Council (ETC) of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), the international organization for Engineering Education. The 2022 ETLI annual meeting will be held September 28-30, 2022, in Alexandria, VA.

The ETLI is a dedicated annual meeting of stakeholders in engineering technology education. During the meeting, participants from community colleges, companies, professional organizations, and four-year schools promote and discuss high quality engineering technology education to support students, their families, and the companies they will join.

Dr. Marilyn Barger, Senior Education Advisor of FLATE, has been invited to present, along with Dr. Richard Gilbert from the University of South Florida, on Industry Identified Skills Gaps and Education Pipeline Response. Dr. Barger’s and Dr. Gilbert’s session will cover a National Science Foundation funded study on manufacturer identified skills gaps related to Industry 4.0 technology driven applications. The results apply to programs at community colleges and universities. Their presentation will demonstrate the project’s outcomes in Florida and its implementation strategies. Details on the survey and caucus process used as analytics tools will also be provided.

“The manufacturing and manufacturing services sectors have been impacted by the emergence of Industry 4.0 technologies, altering the traditional expectations of new graduates entering the field,” said Dr. Barger. “Technician and engineer preparation programs now need to invest significant effort covering fundamental skills and supportive knowledge of these technologies so that graduates can meet the initial employer expectations in their first job. Educators must be cognizant of the current workplace skills needed in the industry as well as additional skills needed to adapt to new technologies emerging in the next few years.“

According to Dr. Barger’s and Dr. Gilbert’s planned presentation, community college technical programs in Engineering Technology must follow documented regional workforce needs and adapt accordingly. These technician programs zero-in on the necessary skills graduates need to immediately start work in a manufacturing facility. Faculty regularly cross-reference with other programs across the country, utilize Department of Labor competency models, and research skill standards that define national manufacturing credentials to validate and define technical skills to include in their programs.

To register for ETLI, click here.  

For more information, please contact Dr. Marilyn Barger, Senior Education Advisor, Florida Advanced Technological Education Center at marilyn.barger@flate.org.