According to the Manufacturing Institute, there is a continued need to equip and expand the manufacturing workforce across the nation. Addressing the skill shortage in advanced manufacturing must include closing knowledge gaps for seasoned instructors and creating pathways for learners to earn competency-based certifications that prove they are ready for fast-paced and ever-evolving working environments.
The Advanced Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative (AMTEC) works to close skill gaps by bringing together technical colleges and industry partners to strengthen student pipelines, support professional development for instructors, and transition students into the workforce. A new project, AMTEC’s Institute for Industry 4.0 Innovation (AI3) program (NSF DUE ATE 2350012), focuses on expanding instructors’ access to the latest Industry 4.0 technologies and incorporating critical concepts into secondary and postsecondary classrooms.
As part of a previous initiative, the Strengthening the Industry 4.0 Workforce through Virtual Reality (VR) Training (NSF DUE ATE 2142868), Nocti Business Solutions (NBS) collaborated with AMTEC to develop a new certification assessment that launched in tandem with a new Industry 4.0 curriculum. The certification will help ensure students have the right skills and abilities to transition into the workforce and meet the demands of modern manufacturing.
What is Industry 4.0?
Industry 4.0, sometimes called the fourth industrial revolution, refers to the current rapid advancements in technology made possible by increased connectivity and machine learning. As manufacturers integrate advanced sensors, real-time monitoring, and data analytics with cloud computing and AI, the industry has seen improved—and almost instantaneous—decision-making based on real-time data.
While this self-optimization is incredibly efficient, it is also completely changing the role of technicians and industrial maintenance professionals. Technicians must now be skilled with the various digital components and know how to troubleshoot and maintain incredibly complex systems.
It’s Not a Skills Gap, It’s a Labor Shortage Tsunami
A slow shift is occurring as more students recognize the value of a technical education, either in lieu of or in addition to postsecondary education. However, to fill the skills gap in manufacturing and prepare students for their future careers, these technical programs must keep pace with Industry 4.0.
Jason Simon, Director of AMTEC, says the AI3 program is more than just a useful tool—it’s absolutely vital to the future of manufacturing: “With all of the reshoring that is happening in the USA, we are not facing a skills gap; we are facing a tsunami of a labor shortage in manufacturing. And this [AI3] certification, and certifications like it, allow employers to get people in those roles quickly.”
The Challenges of Aligning Industry and Education
Simon, who frequently brings the big industry players to the same table with educational institutions, highlights one of the greatest challenges of aligning industry and education: they move at completely different speeds.
Education must often operate within parameters that can make agility and changes difficult, whereas industry seems to change its requirements almost daily. The only way to get through it is with compassion and communication. “If you come to the table and find common ground—which should be the mission of filling these skills gaps and filling this tsunami that’s coming—if you find common ground and work together to find solutions, we’re all going to make steps toward filling these vital roles in the workforce. Communication is the key, and understanding the unique parameters that everyone has to work in.”
While moving at the speed of industry may not always be possible, AMTEC’s educational programs put a monumental effort into making sure their programs are up-to-date, industry-relevant, and provide the skills and certifications that local employers need.
AMTEC Partners with NBS to Develop Competency Assessments to Bridge the Gap
For many institutions, competency-based assessments from NBS are a way to certify that a potential new hire has the right skills and knowledge to be a valuable employee from day one. At AMTEC, the partnership with NBS is far more involved.
Not only does AMTEC take advantage of NBS’ in-depth process for ensuring their assessments cover relevant and current job skills, but AMTEC also includes NBS in determining the standards for curriculum development. The close collaboration ensures a systematic approach to creating a program that prioritizes what real-life technicians are doing day-to-day on the job.
Developing a valid, reliable, industry-based assessment is an in-depth process. A common starting point is to work from an industry standard that defines basic competencies someone needs to perform a specific job. “The first step is figuring out ‘what does that standard actually look like?’” says Simon. “You figure that out by listening to the people in all these different sectors that breathe this day in and day out.”
As part of the assessment development process, NBS hosts workshops that bring together the people performing the job, instructors, and subject matter experts. The group, guided by an NBS psychometrician, completes a job and task analysis to understand and document the specific skills needed in the workplace. From there, NBS creates the test items and conducts pilot tests to begin the validation process. Finally, the team meets for a cut score workshop to determine a passing score.
Simon has high praise for Nocti Business Solutions as a partner for assessment development: “If it wasn’t for NBS and their level of subject matter expertise, AMTEC could not have been successful like we have been, not even close. They provide that third-party expertise and validation of our assessments, of our skills standards, and of our mission in general, so that when we do go out and have these conversations—whether it’s with another educational institution or one of our industry partners—we have their validation and their name means something on a national stage. When people hear NOCTI, they think quality and they think expertise.”
Turnkey Solutions Pave the Way for Skilled Worker Education
With these high-quality programs, AMTEC hopes to make it easier for instructors across the nation to bring relevant, vital instruction to the next wave of technical students. Given the shortage of instructors in the skilled trades sector, programs like AI3 are more important than ever.
AMTEC, operating from the Owensboro Community & Technical College campus, is uniquely positioned to see the challenges that instructors face and tailor their programs to real-world classrooms. They understand that technical instructors, coming straight from industry, may not have a lot of support before they’re thrown in the deep end of a classroom. They know that they need to develop a curriculum using the equipment that is actually available to instructors, rather than design for an ideal classroom.
That knowledge doesn’t stop with AI3. AMTEC is now working on another evolving technology: a 3D printing and additive manufacturing program. While most manufacturing companies don’t have their own 3D printing lab, they are common equipment for maintenance departments. Because additive manufacturing is so deeply related to industry, and AMTEC has the national presence to disseminate this knowledge. It’s a great fit as a future program and credential.
Close Your Skills Gaps with Competency-Based Assessments from NBS
NBS is proud to partner with AMTEC to develop competency-based certifications that prepare the next generation of skilled workers for their careers. Not only do we work with industry organizations like AMTEC to develop high-quality credentials, we also offer over 170 “off-the-shelf” assessments that enable employers from every industry to validate skills and hire the right people for technical positions. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you close skills gaps and create a skilled workforce.
Recent Comments