Bauch + Lomb & St. Petersburg College Tie for 1st: 2024 FLATE Most Innovative Manufacturing Month Student Event Award Winners

The Winners for the Most Innovative Manufacturing Month Student Event Award, both from the Tampa Bay area, were honored at the Bay Area Manufacturers Association Annual Banquet on June 20th.

Congratulations to our winners who tied for 1st place:

• Bausch + Lomb: 2023 Manufacturing Month Student Industry Tours in Tampa.

• St. Petersburg College: 2023 Manufacturing, Engineering, Construction, and Architecture Expo (MECCA) Discovery Day” in Clearwater.

Bauch + Lomb, in partnership with Workforce Development Partners (Hillsborough County), Future Career Academy, and the Bay Area Manufacturers Association (BAMA), held multiple Manufacturing Month Tours. Students from King High School, Freedom High School and Buchanan Middle School visited Bauch + Lomb Pharmaceuticals in Tamp and gave them exposure to production operations and different job levels along with information on salary and benefits. Students were excited and eager to learn more when surveyed. 

Click here to watch news coverage of the King High School visit to Bausch + Lomb Pharmaceuticals in Tampa. 

St. Petersburg College (SPC) holds their annual Manufacturing, Engineering, Construction, and Architecture Expo (MECCA) Discovery Day Expo in the Spring. This event aims to inform and excite middle, high, and postsecondary students to understand that there are career options they can pursue that they may not hear about at home, an opportunity for all students to explore and experience career opportunities in these growth industries: manufacturing, building arts, engineering, and architecture and other related fields.  The goal is to reach underrepresented and underserved students to have them realize that there are career choices for them. 

Discovery Day includes a variety of opportunities for our SPC employees to gain personal and professional skills as well as team-building activities to complement SPC’s year-round focus on enriching the lives of both full-time and part- time employees. Panel discussions will focus on the opportunities seen by our corporate leaders and also look to learn from students what their desires are from the workplace.  Local companies attend to inform students about their company and products, and why they would want to work in manufacturing.

Their 2023 event was held on April 4, 2023 with 42 manufacturing employees from 22 manufacturers from the Tampa Bay area participating including:

• AD Morgan
• Draper
• Manpower Group
• Infento
• Technical Training Aids
• Polypack
• Formulated Solutions
• EEI manufacturing Services
• Plasma Therm
• Homeless Empowernment Group
• Moss Construction
• Ultimate, 3D printing
• TSE Industries
• Creative Contractors
• Fastenal McCormick Stevenson, Smith Fence
• Publix

These companies shared information on local career opportunities with over 250 students from seven (7) Pinellas County middle and high schools, many homeschool association students and postsecondary students.  St. Petersburg College received over 100 thank you notes, and the students described how their knowledge increased about manufacturing and the types of jobs that could be performed.

Don't forget: Manufacturing Month student tours and events can be held any time through the year, not just in October! For information on getting started with your event, go to http://madeinflorida.org/manufacturing-day.

Building the Talent Pipeline: St. Petersburg College ET Program Hosts 2024 Summer Camps

FLATE frequently emphasizes the importance of changing the perception of careers in manufacturing to reflect its true status as the most advanced, high-tech industry in the country. Two ways to provide exposure to manufacturing careers are through manufacturing summer camps and tours of local manufacturing facilities. Robotics and Engineering Technology Camps take students on an in-depth exploration of some of the most recent technologies used in high-tech manufacturing environments. Students develop real-world skills in programming through a hands-on exploration of STEM-related topics in robotics.

This summer, St. Petersburg College’s Engineering Technology (ET) program hosted two summer camps for middle and high school kids at its Clearwater campus that also included visits to local companies. 

First, a Nuts Bolts and Thingamajigs (NBT) manufacturing camp was held June 3-7. NBT camps are partially sponsored by the Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association to promote US’s fabrication of goods. M.S. Greg Lewis and Dr. Andres Cardenas were the 3D Design and Mechatronics coaches, respectively. The eight campers enjoyed the camps’ curriculum, which consisted of:

• Introduction to Electronics and Mechatronics
• Creating a siren circuit and a transistor-based touch-on light
• Creating circuits which were interfaced to micro-bit and Arduino microcontrollers
• Creating solid works drawings and 3-D printing their designs. 

Draper Labs, June 2024

Campers also visited two local industrial facilities: Draper Labs and Inventorium Robotics, both located in the City of St Petersburg).

• At Draper Labs, the campers learned how semiconductor materials are used and also had the chance to dress up for a cleanroom. 
• At Inventorium Robotics, the kids learned all the basics of a machine shop. 

Also, two professional visitors shared their experience with our campers. Dr. Michelle L. Cardenas, professor at the University of South Florida’s Engineering College delved deeply into the world of inventing, designing and leading a team to fabricate electromechanical prototypes. M.S. Abraham Azar, from Polypack, another local manufacturer, provided an in-depth discussion of engineering design that included examples of the types of machinery used for automation at Polypack.

SPC FORM Camp, June 2024

The second camp was held June 24-28: The Future of Robotics and Mechatronics (FORM) Camp. Sponsored by the City of Clearwater, this camp was packed with activities led by Dr. Cardenas-Valencia, working with St. Petersburg College's cobot ("collaborative robot"), relay boxes, PLC trainers, industrial robots, and pneumatic trainers.

The campers also:

• Worked with Arduino-based claws, where they operated a prosthetic claw (for amputees) with their own muscles, and
• Programmed a micro-bit bot and completed the assembly and programming of a 4-degees of freedom robotic arm. 

The eight FORM campers visited the MONIN U.S. Headquarters and Flavor Innovation Center, in Clearwater. In this industrial visit, the campers learned about automated manufacturing, the processing of flavors and even tested a new flavor, as Monin does for their novelty products. 

Two professionals visited the FORM camp to talk about their careers. Mr. Richard Cole, alumni from St. Petersburg College's Engineering Technology program, now works at Duke Energy. He taught the campers how electrical energy is produced and transported to their homes. Mr. Larry Langebrake, an accomplished electrical engineer, gave an inspiring talk about how technology has evolved over the years and how he, after an illustrious career, has become an entrepreneur and co-started his own manufacturing company Sayweather.  

Manufacturing summer camps and plant tours shows students, parents and community members the high paying career paths available in manufacturing. The ultimate goal is to help manufacturers build a steady pipeline of qualified and diversified manufacturing talent to help build and support local economies for decades to come.  For information on planning your student event, visit https://madeinflorida.org/manufacturing-day/. 

Pauline Sevigny of Grace Aerospace Wins 2024 FLATE Distinguished Manufacturing Partner Service Award

Congratulations to Pauline Sevigny. President, GRACE Aerospace, LLC for her outstanding contributions to manufacturing and engineering technology education.  GRACE Aerospace is a member of the First Coast Manufacturers Association, specifically participating on the Workforce Development Steering Committee. Pauline serves as Co-Chair of this Committee.  As part of this initiative, the GRACE Aerospace team works with local high schools and colleges to educate youth on the benefits of a career in manufacturing. They have provided on site tours, visited schools, made videos, participated on educational panels, and employed interns and apprentices to give them exposure to the manufacturing environment and spark their interest in a field they may not have considered. 

GRACE Aerospace has been coordinating with the Opportunity Project/Kids Hope Alliance to describe career opportunities to kids ages 16-23 and GRACE Aerospace has recently agreed to sponsor the Odyssey of the Mind locally; this program teaches students how to develop and use their natural creativity to become problem-solvers. GRACE Aerospace has a true commitment to their employees and enhancing the future manufacturing workforce. 

GRACE Aerospace has assisted other manufacturers by highlighting employment opportunities using the Apprenticeship Accelerator program and describing their positive experiences with CareerSource and Incumbent Worker Trainer grants. Specifically, CareerSource highlighted GRACE Aerospace in a presentation to Congress for Customized Training for the instruction our employees received on IPC training to manufacture electrical components for NASA and the Department of Energy. 

First Coast High School

Also, in October 2023, as part of the First Coast Manufacturers Association Workforce Development Committee, GRACE Aerospace coordinated with FLATE to bring educators and manufacturers together to introduce shared needs and create a pipeline for future employees. Last year, they also worked with the First Coast High School art students to create aerospace related murals throughout our facility, for which the students received volunteer hours.

When asked why she thinks manufacturing education is important, Pauline states that 

"Over 20% of the United States will be over 65 by 2050 and currently, Florida is rated #10 in the country for Manufacturing. It is critical that we provide today's students with the knowledge they need to understand a career in manufacturing can be lucrative and interesting. We need to expose current students to manufacturing environments, job opportunities, and educate them on the skills needed to be successful in manufacturing. This is a key sector in Florida and manufacturers need to ensure that we have an excited, well-educated and well-equipped workforce to lead the next generation of manufacturing."

Join us in congratulating Pauline Sevigny and GRACE Aerospace as the 2024 FLATE Distinguished Partner Service Award Winner!

For information on the FLATE Awards visit http://fl-ate.org/programs/flate-awards, or contact Executive Director of FLATE, Ernie Friend.

 

FLATE Highlighted in the Latest National Science Foundation (NSF) ATE IMPACTS Book for 2024-2025!

The NSF ATE community publishes an IMPACT book every two years to highlight the activities and impacts of the projects and centers funded by the program. The “info book” layout and design is an easy read and full of great information and graphics. The 2024-2025 book highlights 30 Years of ATE innovations and impacts in technical education programs implemented by the grantees of this program.

Click here for the 2024-2025 ATE Impacts Book.

It’s a big effort led by the team at ATE Central (www.atecentral.net) to showcase the important work done in 2-year degree-granting institutions: preparing highly skilled and educated technicians for the continuously changing advanced technologies workforce. The book highlights the amazing innovations in these technical education programs implemented by the grantees of this program in the following technology categories:

• Advanced manufacturing
• Agricultural and environmental
• Biological and chemical
• Engineering
• Information and security
• Micro and nanotechnologies

To be 100% inclusive, NSF ATE funds projects that focus on applied research in technician education in addition to general advanced technologies. Several universities in Florida are engaged in research on technician education funded by NSF ATE. The 2024-2025 Book opens with a timeline showing the advances made as the NSF celebrates 30 years of funding Advanced Technical Education and tomorrow’s skilled technical workforce. 

In the Advanced Manufacturing Technologies section, there are four 'centers' and six 'projects' highlighted. FLATE, now part of the FloridaMakes Network, is proud to be included as a “sustained” center even though it is no longer funded by NSF ATE as a center. FLATE is now supported by FloridaMakes, project grants from the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), and project grants from NSF. FLATE’s 20 years of impact in Florida can be found on pages 16-17 and it highlights many FLATE projects, including the biannual ET Forum and J&J Vision's ongoing partnership with FLATE and many other organizations to develop a manufacturing talent pipeline. 

FLATE is involved with many NSF projects and centers across the country. With the recently funded NSF ATE National Center for Next Generation Manufacturing (NCNGM), FLATE will be working to connect the 2-year advanced manufacturing programs with MEPs across the country. NGNGM is highlighted on pages 18-19 and serves on the Center’s Leadership team. The Hidden Innovation Infrastructure is an ATE research project housed at Rutgers University Economic and Employment Research Center (EERC) where FLATE serves as a co-principal investigator. The project was focused on unraveling the economic impacts that ATE grant funding can have on local and regional economies and innovations. The project produced a case study in its publication titled “Lessons in Community Colleges Economic Development from NSF ATE” and some highlights from that study can be found in a call-out box on page 5.

One other NSF ATE Center mentioned in the Engineering Technology section of the Impact Book is housed in a Florida State college. The LASER-TEC resource center is housed at Indian River State College (IRSC) and offers many resources that support advanced manufacturing programs (pages 52-53).  IRSC is also involved with two projects that are highlighted in the Engineering Technology section: EdQuantum (Hybrid Curriculum for Upskilling Photonics Technicians in Quantum Technologies – Page 61) and NEVC (National Electric Vehicle Consortium - Page 63).  One final project from Miami Dade College is highlighted in the Information and Securities section: WomenRISE (Women Reinvigorating Industry Support and Empowerment).

The NSF ATE Impacts book showcases some of the most impactful and innovative funded projects, but there are so many more across the country with 37 scattered in Florida’s state colleges and universities, working quietly on their own technician education innovations. 

You can learn more about the NSF ATE programs, read the request for proposals, and see brief overviews of the funded projects in Florida at www.nsf.gov/ate. You can download a pdf copy of the ATE Impact Book at the link above or contact Dr. Barger (marilyn.barger@flate.org) to request a hard copy... or ask about how to turn your own innovative idea into a funded project.

Entrepreneurship Education & Training Supporting Manufacturing Education in Florida

In support of Florida’s Perkins V State Plan to create a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem through career and technical education (CTE), FLATE has compiled and updated a list of resources on entrepreneurship curriculum education and mentorship.

Entrepreneurship education and training (EET) refers to academic education and formal training interventions or activities that share the broad objective of providing individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to start, operate, or scale an enterprise.

For purposes of Perkins V, FLATE has compiled a list of resources with a focus on cultivating within CTE students the following two domains:

• Entrepreneurial mindsets - the socio-emotional skills and overall awareness of “what it takes” to become a successful entrepreneur (e.g., self-confidence, leadership, creativity, risk propensity, motivation, critical thinking, high degrees of empathy, resilience, and self-efficacy)
• Entrepreneurial capabilities - the capacity for successful business management and venturing (e.g., knowledge of marketing, accounting, financial modeling, and the sources of capital, and evidencing the ability to de-risk an idea, successfully pivot, and value-create)

Resources

• Entrepreneurship Education Resources: includes a list of online resources including partner and sponsored institutions. 
• Florida Colleges offering Entrepreneurship Education & Training
• FDOE Curriculum Frameworks for Business Entrepreneurship A.S. Degree 
• Business Entrepreneurship (AS - 1552070308) (RTF)
• Business Entrepreneurship (CCC - 0552070308) (RTF)
• Business Entrepreneurship Operations (CCC – 0552070303) (RTF)
Business Development and Entrepreneurship (CCC - 0552070306) (RTF)

For more information about FLATE educational resources and EET visit FLATE.org and FLATE.PBWorks.com/Career Planning Resources

David Yocum wins 2024 FLATE Distinguished Manufacturing Secondary Educator-of-the-Year Award Winner

David Yocum has been a teacher for Anclote High School and AmSkills for the past 5 years. He created the Advanced Manufacturing program for Anclote High School in Pasco County, starting in 2020 with 35 students and growing to 155 students in 2023-2024. Before starting the program at Anclote High School, David worked for years in the manufacturing industry. He started his career as a mechanic at a flight school and then began working with a company that built military hardware for deployment, where he helped fabricate Humvee and helicopter simulators. He later worked at Aeronautical Systems Engineering, where he visited Afghanistan building military and commercial simulators for the U.S. military to provide training.  He is currently working for Clearwater Motor Coach building mobile stem training, medical, and luxury RV solutions and manufacturing custom buses nationwide.

 

Since David has continued to work in the industry while teaching, he was able to provide his students with additional opportunities.  He placed 15 students in on-the-job training over the last 4 years doing special events, working with other CTE programs in the school and with local businesses. He also hired two full-time students that still work at the facility learning the trade and moving up in the industry.

Driven to make a difference, David has also provided mobile manufacturing boot camps in Tampa Bay.  He built a space bus to promote stem education and share cutting edge technology in advanced manufacturing.  The bus has a complete multi crew training simulation system with laser cutters and 3D printers. It is taken to events in the Tampa Bay area, across Florida and beyond. At Synapse Summit Tampa, Space Bus was in the top five things to see in Tampa Bay.  It provides the ability to build any training center around the World. Click here for more information on SpaceBusTours.

David believes that manufacturing is important because it's how we build a great future.  He states that it's important to 'Find that spark inside others that needs to be seen.  Through education you're not guaranteed experience, but through experience you're guaranteed an education." 

For information on the FLATE Awards visit http://fl-ate.org/programs/flate-awards, or contact Ernie Friend, Executive Director of FLATE, at ernie.friend@flate.org. 

Gil Burlew wins 2024 FLATE Distinguished Manufacturing Post-Secondary Educator-of-the-Year Award

Gilbert (Gil) Burlew, Advanced Manufacturing and Production Technology instructor at Manatee Technical College (MTC) in Bradenton, Florida, is celebrating his 45th year of a rewarding teaching career – 30 years teaching in Florida schools. Gil started his Florida teaching career in Brevard County, Florida at the Cocoa High School Aerospace Academy in 1994 before moving to Palm Bay High School in 2001. During his four years in Palm Bay, his alternative energy Alternate Fuel Automotive Team (AFA) was recognized by the US Department of Education; his US FIRST Robotics Teams competed at the state, national and international levels; and his programs were recognized by the CEO of Harris Corporation. He was named Florida Technology Student Association (TSA) Advisor of the Year, and his students won State Championships and the Outstanding Chapter Award.

In 2005, Gil moved to Manatee County to continue inspiring his Engineering Technology students, and winning TSA state and national championships year after year. During his 11 years at Braden River High School, Mr. Burlew became Department Chair and Engineering Academy Lead, served as Chair of the FL-TSA Board of Directors, and president and executive director of the Florida Technology Engineering & Educators Association (FTEEA). His awards include TSA National Advisor of the Year (2014), International Technology Engineering & Educators Association (ITEEA) Teacher of Excellence, ITEEA Program of Excellence, and Sterling Award for Best Practices (2024-15).

In his current career setting which started in 2016, Gil started the Advanced Manufacturing program at Manatee Technical College (MTC) from the ground up with a Florida Workforce Education Job Growth Grant—the first in the state to be awarded. He has continued to grow the program in size, scope, and quality. According to Doug Wagner, Director, MTC: “It's been exciting to watch Mr. Burlew take students into this program, train them, educate them, and through his vast network of business and industry connections, help them become employed in some of the very best high-wage, high-skill manufacturing positions I have ever seen.”

Gil believes manufacturing education is important because “Every day we open a giant window of opportunity for students to look out into their futures and help them to see the careers that could possibly be a game changer for them and in many cases a life-changing experience for them and their families.”

For information on the FLATE Awards visit http://fl-ate.org/programs/flate-awards, or contact Ernie Friend, Executive Director of FLATE, at ernie.friend@flate.org. 

Congratulations to the 2024 FLATE Award Winners!

FLATE (Florida Advanced Technological Education Center), FloridaMakes and FAITE (Florida Association for Industrial and Technical Educators) are pleased to announce winners of the 2024 FLATE Manufacturing Awards. This year’s Awardees include:

• David Yocum, Advanced Manufacturing Teacher, Anclote High School, Clearwater, FL will receive the 2024 Distinguished Manufacturing Secondary Educator-of-the-Year Award.

• Gil Burlew, Advanced Manufacturing & Production Instructor, Manatee Technical College, Bradenton, FL will receive the 2024 Distinguished Manufacturing Post-Secondary Educator-of-the-Year Award

• Pauline Sevigny, President & Owner, GRACE Aerospace, LLC will receive the 2024 Distinguished Manufacturing Partner Service Award

• Most Innovative Manufacturing Month Student Event Award Winners (tie for 1st):
• St. Petersburg College: 2023 Manufacturing, Engineering, Construction, and Architecture Expo (MECCA) Discovery Day, Clearwater, FL. Partners for this event included Pinellas County Schools, Urban League, and Homeless Empowerment Group.
• Bausch + Lomb Pharmaceuticals: Manufacturing Month Student Industry Tours, Tampa FL

This is the 17th year FLATE has recognized educators at the secondary and postsecondary level and industry partners for their outstanding contributions to promote manufacturing related technical education in Florida.

"The FLATE Awards shine a spotlight on the dedicated educators and industry partners shaping the future of manufacturing. Their unwavering commitment to advanced technical education empowers the next generation of skilled workers, driving innovation and prosperity within Florida's manufacturing landscape," said Ernie Friend, Executive Director of FLATE. "Congratulations to all the applicants and winners of this year's prestigious awards."

The Most Innovative Manufacturing Month Student Event Awards recognize outstanding and innovative ways to promote manufacturing career awareness and technology education through innovative student outreach events. In-person or virtual events include student tours of manufacturing facilities or other events that engage students in innovative ways directly with manufacturers.

Awardees were selected from a distinguished pool of nominations submitted from across the state and were judged by an awards committee comprised of industry representatives, FAITE board members, past awardees, and members of the FloridaMakes Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Leadership Committee (AMWLC)

"FloridaMakes is proud of the 2024 FLATE Awardees for their work in manufacturing education in Florida," said Kevin Carr, FloridaMakes CEO. "It is important to continuously build our pipeline of youth entering the manufacturing industry and recognizing excellence in manufacturing education is one way we can do this.”

The recently released 2023 Florida Manufacturing Report by FloridaCommerce with support from FloridaMakes highlights Florida manufacturing GDP of $72.9 billion. This GDP outpaces many key sectors in Florida. Find the report here.

Awardees will be recognized at the 2024 Florida Association for Career and Technical Education (FACTE) Annual Conference & Trade Show that will be held July 15-17, 2024 at the Sawgrass Marriott in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. The winners will also serve as panelists for the Best Practice Award Winners Panel at the conference.

About FloridaMakes

FloridaMakes is a statewide, industry-led, public-private partnership operated by an alliance of Florida's regional manufacturers associations with the sole mission of strengthening and advancing Florida’s economy by improving the competitiveness, productivity and technological performance of its manufacturing sector, with an emphasis on small- and medium-sized firms. FloridaMakes is the official representative of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) National Network in the state of Florida, a program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce. For more information visit FloridaMakes.com.

About the Florida Advanced Technological Education (FLATE) Center

FLATE is a Center of Excellence for advanced technological education and is committed to ensuring that Florida has a well-prepared workforce for advanced and emerging technologies in manufacturing by providing educational resources and strategies for curriculum, professional development and student recruitment in secondary and post-secondary education. FLATE was created in 2004 through a grant from the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education Program which is focused on improving STEM education to meet the needs of American advanced technology industries. In 2020, FLATE became a part of the FloridaMakes network. For more information visit www.fl-ate.org.

2024 Spring Forum on Engineering Technology

The 52nd state-wide Forum on Engineering Technology was held on April 4-5, 2024.  Thank you to the State College of Florida (SCF) in Bradenton, FL for hosting! The forum was well attended with 66 participants, including 36 from 17 Florida state and community colleges and two universities as well as representatives from Florida manufacturers and other partner organizations.

The Forum on Engineering Technology (ET Forum) has served as an important vehicle for bringing together Florida’s diverse and geographically dispersed community with common issues and challenges. With the support of the Florida Department of Education (FDOE), FLATE works with the ET Forum network to strengthen the consortium, share its administrative activities and projects, provide professional development, bring industry and academia together, and engage in statewide FDOE curriculum frameworks review and reform. Over the years, it has become a true community of practice.

The Forum meets twice a year and has convened fifty-two times, at 25 different Florida colleges. The ET Forum, with FLATE guidance and leadership, continues to grow strong by recruiting interested colleges, hosting industry professionals from companies near the host institution, providing professional development for emerging and relevant technologies, participating in FDOE statewide curriculum frameworks reform and change related to ET disciplines, and providing extensive networking and opportunities for sharing and collaboration amongst colleges.

The Spring ET Forum included two days filled with key topics, discussions, and updates. At SCF, the participants were greeted by  Pepper, the SCF Coding Robot.  On the first day, topics included:

• Roundtable discussion on recruiting faculty, adjuncts, and students, best practices for advisory committees, and faculty loads
• Update on SETIAB – the State Engineering Technology Industry Advisory Board
• Education vendor Roundtable discussion on current technical education trends
• Engineering Technology college program updates
• Industry/Economic/Workforce Panel on work-based learning, industry certification and connecting with educators
• 
  Tour of the SCF Engineering Technology facilities and labs
• Update on FloridaMakes and the State of Manufacturing in Florida
• FDOE reported on new program developments including the updated CPalms.org site - the State of Florida's official online toolbox source for standards information, curriculum modules, and course descriptions
• Associate of Science in Engineering Technology core standards - suggestions and potential revisions were reviewed/discussed.

The SETIAB (Statewide Engineering Technology Industry Advisory Board) met following the ET Forum.  Attendance included 15 industry voting members and 16 educational partner non-voting members. The Board discussed and approved the new ASET "Advanced Automation" Specialization standards.  A full report will be included in the May FLATE Focus.

The 2nd day of the forum continued with the discussion of classroom technology, followed by NSF Grant updates (including a discussion on updating Florida’s ET pathways), and college program updates.  Also on day 2, distinguished guest speakers and key relevant topics included:

• Operation K-12 Cyber Florida, University of South Florida
• University of North Florida’s BS in Advanced Manufacturing
• AmSkills Articulations

The Florida Engineering Technology Forum serves as a model organization for other disciplines and career clusters in Florida as well as technical disciplines in other states. Presentation and recordings are available at ET Forum Google Drive and FLATE.PBWorks/Presentations.

Of the 16 evaluation survey responses received (13 in-person and 3 virtual attendees), nearly 80% (13) of respondents agreed that the Forum offered excellent overall professional development and networking value and 100% of the survey responders (16) would recommend the Forum to others.

Special thanks to our Sponsors!  The ET Forum could not happen without our educational vendors: 

• Technical Training Aids
• SMC International Training
• Bluegrass Educational Technologies, LLC
• FESTO
• D.C. Jaeger Corporation
• Southern Educational Systems
• Learning Labs

For more information on the Forum and/or ASET degree visit https://fl-ate.org/programs/e-t-forum/

The Fall 2024 ET Forum will be held September 26-27, 2024 at Palm Beach State College.

Mechatronics 101 Workshop

On March 1, 2024, thirteen (13) high school and community college educators attended the all-day FLATE Mechatronics 101 workshop at St. Petersburg College Clearwater Campus.  This workshop uses the Independent Mechatronics Education Curriculum (iMEC)2.0 and the Independent Remote Experiment Automation Lab (iREAL) trainers designed and developed over ten years ago by Mr. Doug Laven of the Mechatronics Department of South Central College (SSC) in Mankato, MN. The Florida educators assembled their own trainer from the ground up, assembling and wiring components to demonstrate simple logic circuits with several input and output devices. At the end of the day, all attendees took home their built iREAL trainers, small assembly tools, and the various input and output devices. Many of the attendees had never wired electronic components and were excited to have the well guided instruction. In a post-workshop survey, attendees gave the workshop high praise for the all-day hands-on, step by step instruction.

This was the second Mechatronics 101 workshop supported by FLATE and its NSF award, 2148138, which is enhancing the state’s AS Engineering Technology degree with industry 4.0 skills. Dr. Barger says, “it’s very important to provide rigorous, hands-on educator professional development in conjunction with curriculum changes so they can, in turn, share the new technologies with students in their classrooms. The next steps for the attendees of this workshop will be at least two (2) virtual sessions with more advanced challenges and a shared folder with the advanced activities and videos.

Mr. Laven developed the iMEC2 and iREAL trainers originally to meet the needs of industry in his region with a small, compact, affordable, and flexible training platform that students could borrow from the college to do the required hands-on labs for the mechatronics courses. This effort was funded by the National Science Foundation through grant 1304835. A more recent NSF SSC award, 2037491, expanded the use of the iREAL electronic trainers and added three additional mechatronics-related trainers, Programable Logic Controllers (PLC), Sensors, and Process Control to support dual enrollment programs in Minnesota and Nebraska.

Florida Manufacturing Days in Tallahassee

Florida Manufacturing Days in Tallahassee took place on February 13-14, 2024. Coordinated by the Florida Manufacturing & Supply Chain Advocacy Council, this annual event brings together manufacturing champions from across the state. The Council, composed of representatives from various associations, including FLATE and the regional manufacturers associations from across the state, works to strengthen local relationships and implement grassroots campaigns.

Florida Manufacturing Days is a time for manufacturers and other industry stakeholders to meet with legislators and statewide partners to discuss and advocate for manufacturing-related issues and to learn more about the legislative process. The events and meetings hosted during Florida Manufacturing Days allow participants to network and lend their voice in shaping Florida's manufacturing business environment. This year, more than 45 attendees actively engaged in over 50 meetings with legislative offices.

FLATE was represented at Florida Manufacturing Days by Ernie Friend, Executive Director of FLATE, along with educational partners Shera Gill from Northwest Florida State College, and Alan Harris and Stephen Stagon from the University of North Florida's School of Engineering. All ET Forum schools were represented in an exhibit with college posters around the rotunda of the Capital, allowing all state representatives to see manufacturing education programs in their districts.

Updating Florida's Engineering Technology Career Pathways

Florida’s Statewide Course Numbering (SCNS) is a key component of Florida’s K-20 seamless system of articulation. The system provides an online database of postsecondary courses at public vocational-technical centers, community and state colleges, universities and participating nonpublic institutions. The assigned numbers describe course content to improve research, assist program planning, and facilitate the transfer of students.

For several years, FLATE, a National Science Foundation Center and part of the FloridaMakes network, has been working on updating the AS degree in Engineering Technology (ASET) pathways. Working collaboratively with the Florida Department of Education and state/community colleges across Florida, FLATE has now developed a comprehensive ET Course Database that provides a list of all eleven ASET degree specializations and the courses currently offered at 23 colleges for those specializations. At this time, the database focuses on the technical specialization tracks only which include computer-aided design, introduction to electronics, manufacturing material and process, mechanical measurements & instrumentation, quality and safety. The technical ASET core courses will be added in 2024. 

“FLATE will be conducting a review of the ASET curriculum framework later this year,” said Dr. Marilyn Barger, senior education advisor for FLATE. The state-mandated tri-annual review requires employers and educators to review and update the standards and benchmarks for each technical program in Florida. However, these curriculum frameworks do not provide guidance for which statewide courses should be used to meet the standards and benchmarks. Over the years, colleges have independently developed and adopted courses to fulfill the same standard. The ET Course Database will facilitate the process of the colleges selecting the courses that make up their program/specialization, working with other colleges who offer the same specialization.

For example, the colleges who offer the Advanced Manufacturing Specialization and require the Motors and Controls course could collaborate to better align their courses with the framework. Other examples and opportunities for alignment include the AC/DC circuits courses at Broward College, Northwest Florida State College, Palm Beach State College, and Pensacola State College.

Barger says the SCNS together with the new ET Course Database offers an effective way for colleges to adopt the same courses across the state. The goal is that one or two courses become the preferred courses to meet particular state standards and benchmarks; and that all colleges will adopt these as they go through regularly scheduled curriculum reviews. This alignment will also support students by simplifying transfers between colleges for the ASET degree and its related shorter-term College Credit Certificates (CCC). Transfers to BSET degrees should also be simplified. The ASET degree program has three major components:

• General Education requirements
• ET technical core
• Specialization tracts that address regional industry sector needs

To date 18 of the 23 colleges offering ASET specializations have provided revisions and updates to the ET Course Database. The plan is to add the general education courses (15 credit hours) and the ET Technical core courses (18 credit hours) in 2024. Several opportunities for better alignment are outlined in the ET Course Database.

Click here to review the technical coursework offered under each of the colleges.

The ET Course Database has a separate tab for each specialization of the ASET degree. Each college that offers that specialization is listed alphabetically across the top (each college has its column). Every course that the colleges use in the specialization is listed in a row with prefix, number, and course title. The number of credit hours assigned to courses offered as an elective are in the blue color font. Courses with the number of credits hours in black font are required courses to complete the specialization.

The courses are grouped by topic. For example, there are several courses for teaching about motors and controls and those are grouped for easy comparisons. Faculty will need to review the SCNS descriptions and college syllabi for the details about what and how the topic is covered. Faculty offering these courses might review these together and determine the advantages and disadvantages of the different courses on the same topic and the same course might not be the best choice for all programs.

To send edits reach out to Dr. Marilyn Barger (marilyn.barger@flate.org) and Danielly Orozco-Cole (danielly.orozco-cole@flate.org).

Visit the FLATE ET Career Pathways page for more information.

FLATE Announces the Hiring of Regional Education Ambassadors in Orlando, Sarasota and the Panhandle

FLATE and FloridaMakes have created three new Regional Education Ambassador (REA) positions. These REAs are critical to advancing FLATE's mission throughout regions of Florida. The REAs are manufacturing education champions, knowledge exchange facilitators, and passionate advocates for highlighting careers in manufacturing for students, parents, teachers, and industry. The three positions are located in the Panhandle, Orlando, and Sarasota. Kayla Martin covers the Panhandle, Mariellen Batchelor covers Orlando, and Lordana Guillaume covers the Sarasota region.

The Regional Education Ambassadors will help build awareness of FLATE's and FloridaMakes resources and programs among the region's educators, students, and community stakeholders. They will organize and participate in workshops, conferences, and outreach events to share FLATE's expertise and initiatives. They will develop relationships with key education, industry leaders, and community partners in their region, create Manufacturing Month activities, host Speed Networking events, and organize industry tours. They will also connect students with opportunities to explore their interests in manufacturing through FLATE's programs and resources. Most importantly, they will mentor and encourage students to pursue careers in manufacturing.

If you are in the Panhandle, Orlando, or Sarasota, don't hesitate to contact your Regional Education Ambassador and let me know about existing engagement opportunities or ideas for creating new ones.

 Contact Information:

• Panhandle - Kayla Martin- kayla.martin@flate.org
• Orlando -     Mariellen Batchelor - mariellen.batchelor@flate.org
• Sarasota -     Lordana Guillaume - lordana.guillaume@flate.org

STEM Fairs in Florida a Way to Support the Next Generation of Skilled Workforce

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is critical for fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, which are essential for economic growth and prosperity. Providing students with the tools and resources necessary to inspire them to learn STEM-related subjects with real hands-on projects helps create the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. Every year FLATE supports STEM student competitions throughout Florida. These competitions teach students the real-world application of STEM skills and provide an environment to exercise 21st-century skills – both of which are essential skills in the workforce.

Tampa Bay Area Regional STEM Fairs

The STEM Fair season has begun for 2024 and Danielly Orozco-Cole, Career and Technical Education Program Manager for FLATE, was part of the Bay Area Manufacturers Association (BAMA) team of volunteers who had the opportunity to review, interview, and judge some of the best engineering-manufacturing related K-12 projects. The Pinellas Science and Engineering Fair, held at Countryside High School on February 3rd in Clearwater, and the Hillsborough STEM fair, held at the Tampa Convention Center on February 7th, showcased more than 1,400 elementary, junior, and senior projects. 

During these events, more than 600 STEM professionals around the Tampa Bay area served as regional judges reviewing 1,000+ elementary-senior students’ projects. Winners of these STEM fairs will compete at the State of Florida Science and Engineering Fair of Florida on April 2-4th, 2024 in Lakeland Center, where over $200,000 worth of scholarships and awards will be provided to students.

FLATE thanks the sponsors as well as all judges and volunteers who assisted during the STEM Fair. Winners of the BAMA award will receive a certificate and cash prize at the Annual Awards Banquet on June 20, 2024 at the Bryan Glazier JCC.

Upcoming Events-Become a Subject Matter Expert or Judge

FLATE continues to encourage Florida’s talented students to pursue STEM and manufacturing-related careers. Everyone can help by supporting student STEM events in your area by volunteering as a subject matter expert or mentor and/or as a judge for your county's school district STEM Fair.

FLATE is also recruiting volunteers to serve as subject matter experts and/or mentors in the upcoming statewide student organization events:

• Technology Student Association (TSA)-State and Competition: February 21-24, 2024

• SkillsUSA Conference and Competition: April 14-17, 2024

• FIRST Robotics Orlando Regional, March 20-23, 2024

• FIRST Robotics Tallahassee Regional at FAMU, March 13-16, 2024

For more information about FLATE and how to become a judge visit FLATE.org/Student-Organziations.

Updates on FLATE’s partnership with Rutgers’ University Education and Employment Research Center (EERC) – Hidden Innovation Infrastructure: Understanding the Economic Development Role of Technician Education in the Changing Future of Work (HII)

Dr. Barger, Senior Educational Advisor for FLATE, has served as a co-principal investigator for an NSF ATE-funded Technician Education Research (NSF 2026262) project since 2020. This project is researching community college technical programs' contributions to and interactions with local and regional economic development organizations. Details about the HII project and other research projects related to community college workforce programs can be found here. (https://sites.rutgers.edu/eerc-hii/).

Over the 2023 Winter break, the HII project released a publication sharing its conceptual model that has evolved during the research phase of this project -- The Community College Role in Economic Development: A Conceptual Model. This new report outlines the role of community colleges in economic development. It defines both model inputs and outputs with examples including inclusive economic development. The report provides some ideas and opportunities for community colleges to begin engaging with their local and regional economic development agencies plus outcomes they can anticipate from these engagements.

Additionally, the Hidden Innovation Infrastructure project has developed 3 interactive data visualization tools that can provide charts or graphs of trends over time of graduates per career and technical education program by name, nationally, by state, or for multiple states. Another of these “data tools” can provide trends over time for jobs by technician occupation. These tools can quickly provide a visualization of these trends that can help community college workforce personnel compare current to past trends and map that information to economic trends and “happenings” for the industry sector of interest. All 3 tools are free to use based on national Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data Systems (IPEDS) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 

Read more about these tools and try them out by going to the Data Tools menu item under Products on the Rutgers HII website. To get some ideas on how these tools have been used, there are issue briefs detailing the use of the tools under the Publications link (also under Products on the site).

There are many potential benefits for community colleges to engage with these organizations and some can be gleaned from these reports. Educators can find other reports and case studies from this project including promising practices at some specific colleges that are engaged with their economic development, workforce, and other community organizations.
The Rutgers Education and Employment Research Center has conducted a wealth of research focused on many aspects of Community College workforce programs and initiatives that can support all community colleges working in this space. In the fast-evolving landscape of technical education and training, degrees, certificates, and credentials, it’s a resource not to be overlooked. Please check out the HII project and the many other publications documenting a wide range of topics pertinent to college faculty, administrators, and advocates.

Spotlight on the Florida Statewide Engineering Technology Industry Advisory Board

Industry advisory boards are crucial in helping organizations make informed decisions to streamline and meet targeted strategic goals. For several years, Florida Advanced Technological Education Center (FLATE) has been leading the effort to bring together diverse and geographically dispersed colleges offering degrees in engineering technology (ET) to discuss and share best practices, and identify strategies to strengthen its technology consortium across Florida. FLATE is an NSF center of excellence in Florida that has been funded to date with a $10 million grant and is considered to be part of the NSF ATE Community as a “sustained” Center. The ATE program is focused on improving STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education to meet the technician workforce needs of American advanced technological industries. From 2004 to 2020, FLATE was funded through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) grant and was absorbed as part of the FloridaMakes network in 2020.

Overview, role and responsibilities of SETIAB

In an ongoing effort to streamline the engineering technology degree and related curriculum, in coordination with FloridaMakes and state and community colleges offering the ET Degree, FLATE launched the Statewide Engineering Technology Industry Advisory Board (SETIAB) in the spring of 2023. The Florida SETIAB is a key vehicle in engaging and building in-roads between Florida manufacturers and colleges offering two- and four-year degrees in engineering technology. The Board’s mission is to ensure that the 20-plus Associate in Science Engineering Technology (ASET) programs offered in community and state colleges across Florida are meeting rapidly evolving industry needs, and raising the visibility and competencies of ASET degree graduates. The Board is also tasked with identifying SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely) goals by assisting the Florida College System (FCS) in ensuring ET curriculum learning objectives and activities are productive and of high quality.

Expected benefits and outcomes

Following the inaugural in-person meeting in March 2023, the Board recruited additional members to set up its initial organizational structure and bylaws. The Board now consists of one or two industry representatives who support an engineering technology advisory board from each of the Florida state colleges, plus one member each from FloridaMakes, Florida’s K-12 education system, and the Florida Department of Education’s Adult and Career Education division. Supporting members of the new advisory board include representatives from each college that has an industry member on the board as well as representatives from FLATE. A college may have more than one industry representative on the Board which helps to ensure that there is broad geographic representation and includes representatives of all manufacturing sectors found in Florida.

SETIAB is the “go-to” resource for providing recommendations on the continual development of engineering technology and related education for students at all FCS-affiliated institutions. It assists in developing a positive image for the ET programs and will serve as a conduit for maintaining information between the colleges, FloridaMakes, Florida Department of Education (FDOE), and manufacturers across Florida. The Board will also recommend curriculum content in both degrees and certificates while adhering to FDOE guidelines.

Similarities with engineering technology programs in colleges and universities

On a broader spectrum, the effort to establish a statewide engineering technology industry advisory board is not unique to Florida. The effort aligns with similar initiatives at colleges and universities across the country. The Purdue School of Engineering & Technology at Indiana University has a similar board consisting of alumni, industry experts, and industry professionals to advise, assist, support, and advocate for its electrical engineering technology program. Similarly, the engineering technology departments at the University of Toledo and East Tennessee State University have industrial advisory boards with a similar scope to advise engineering technology programs at each of their universities in an effort to achieve excellence. “Through the Florida SETIAB, we hope to provide guidance that enhances and aligns career and technical training with industry needs,” said Dr. Marilyn Barger, senior education advisor for FLATE. Barger hopes the initiative will also guide education and industry pathways that spur career growth for students and employees across the state and gives greater visibility to the ASET degree programs offered across the state including the skillsets of ET graduates.

To meet the charter manufacturing members and learn more about Florida’s SETIAB, visit https://flate.site/setiab, or contact Dr. Marilyn Barger at Marilyn.barger@flate.org and Dr. Mori Toosi, director of engineering technology at Polk State College, at mtoosi@polk.edu.

AmSkills & Local Colleges Establish Articulation Agreements to Build Enrollment

AmSkills, a regional resource for manufacturing training on Florida's west coast, met recently with FLATE in a discussion about expanding articulation agreements with local schools.  AmSkills believes strongly in productive collaboration between post-secondary education providers and has established articulation agreements with several colleges.  The focus has been on agreements with schools that offer the Associate in Science in Engineering Technology (ASET) degree, allowing AmSkills participants who receive industry certifications to receive college credit towards the ASET degree.  

According to Dr. Anzalone, COO of AmSkills, the common goal is increasing the number of students pursuing post-secondary education in STEM, specifically in Engineering Technology. It is no secret that enrollment in postsecondary education has declined since the COVID pandemic started and has struggled to reach pre pandemic levels. The National Student Clearinghouse publishes an annual enrollment report with relevant data. “Total postsecondary enrollment remains well below pre-pandemic levels, down about 1.09 million students overall and about 1.16 million undergraduates alone, compared to spring 2020.” 

Some of the causes for this decline are:

• Perception about College, Community College, and Technical Programs
• Competition with other programs
• The “Gig” economy (Ride sharing, meal delivery, freelancing work, etc.)
• Class format and location
• Dual Credit
• College and Student Finances
• Mental health decline and support services not available or not promoted enough.

Low enrollment is happening at a time when there are 1.42 job openingsfor every unemployed person in the US. The question is: How do we get more people interested in pursuing a career in the technical aspects of manufacturing? Many have been working on this for the last 30 years, including AmSkills, since its founding. AmSkills has concluded -- based on work conducted over the last decade -- that the key factor is awareness of the different careers available and of the pathways to getting into them.

FLATE is a national leader on promoting and expanding opportunities for individuals to explore careers in STEM and manufacturing, through manufacturing months tours, summer camps, curriculum development support, teacher training in STEM fields, among many others.  FLATE continues to partner with organizations like AmSkills on initiatives related to awareness of manufacturing careers and pathways to these careers. 

AmSkills strongly believes in productive collaboration between post-secondary education and training providers.  They have established articulation agreements with colleges near them that provide college credit into the ASET degree for their participants, using the industry certifications achieved in AmSkills programs.  Specific industry certifications can be articulated into credit hours towards the ET degree through these articulation agreements. 

FLATE encourages the development of articulation agreements between Florida's colleges around the state.  There are many programs like these by AmSkills that offer alternative pathways to learning manufacturing and soft skills and students using them to earn certificates can also earn college credit if articulation agreements are in place.  

For step-by-step instructions on how to establish articulation agreements, click here watch the FLATE Webinar on Developing Local Articulations.

Click here for a list of Florida colleges that offer the AS in Engineering Technology.

The involvement of industry partners is crucial for all technical education and training programs. It’s vital that educators regularly learn from industry what skills their workforce needs so students completing programs can go directly into the workforce and perform at a high level. Successful job placements enhance a program’s success in attracting more people to manufacturing careers. Industry partners often provide financial support for student’s tuition, activities, and competitions. More importantly, the information provided by these industry partners guides which programs are offered at AmSkills.

AmSkills Programs

AmSkills has many programs designed to expand the pipeline of people pursuing careers in manufacturing, as well as to upskill newcomers and incumbent workers.  Below are just a few of the programs currently being offered.

High School Initiative: AmSkills is running a four-year advanced manufacturing pre-apprenticeship Academy program at AnClote High School in Pasco County. The curriculum for the 4-year program is based on Amatrol’s “Ignite” program with courses that include stimulating interactive eLearning lessons, computer simulations, design projects, and hands-on workstations using Industry 4.0 technologies. Currently, there are 153 students in this program.

Youth Camps: AmSkills offers a variety of youth camps of varying durations to expose teenagers to technologies and careers in manufacturing at both their Lealman and Holiday locations.

Adult Career Discovery Bootcamps: The 2-week program exposes participants to different aspects of manufacturing and soft skills requested by industry partners. At the end of the 2-week program, completers are guaranteed interviews with multiple hiring employers, most of them attaining a job in manufacturing after a second or third interview with one of these companies.

Upskilling new and incumbent technicians: AmSkills offers training in most industry credentials related to mechatronics, taught in different formats and locations, responding to industrial partners’ needs.

To learn more about AmSkills, please visit their website at https://www.amskills.org/.

By Alessandro Anzalone, Ph.D. and the AmSkills team.