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.


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


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