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NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
Recipient: |
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Initial Amendment Date: | May 27, 2020 |
Latest Amendment Date: | August 3, 2022 |
Award Number: | 2000467 |
Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
Program Manager: |
Christine Delahanty
cdelahan@nsf.gov (703)292-8492 DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
Start Date: | July 1, 2020 |
End Date: | June 30, 2024 (Estimated) |
Total Intended Award Amount: | $288,828.00 |
Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $288,828.00 |
Funds Obligated to Date: |
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History of Investigator: |
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Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
550 E SPRING ST COLUMBUS OH US 43215-1722 (614)287-2639 |
Sponsor Congressional District: |
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Primary Place of Performance: |
550 East Spring St Columbus OH US 43215-1722 |
Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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Parent UEI: |
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NSF Program(s): | Advanced Tech Education Prog |
Primary Program Source: |
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Program Reference Code(s): |
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Program Element Code(s): |
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Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
Demand for skilled automotive technicians continues to grow, providing new opportunities for students to join the technical workforce. As technological innovations in the automotive industry continue to increase rapidly, the education of technicians needs to keep pace. This project will support the development of a flexible apprenticeship program in which students will be concurrently employed by an industry partner and enrolled in an automotive technology program. The proposed ?earn and learn? model will engage Columbus State Community College and industry partners in the technical education of automotive technicians. The project will support the upskilling of incumbent workers and recruiting of high school students to increase the number of skilled technicians who can support the automotive industry.
The goals of this project are to expand the participation of industry in an experiential student learning model and to meet industry?s demand for more automotive technicians by partnering with local dealerships and regional high schools. This project will implement an Automotive Fast Track Apprenticeship program that will be jointly developed with industry partners. Based on an earn and learn model design, the apprenticeship program will include foundational technical coursework and field experience. Outreach efforts to recruit students will focus on three target populations: high school students, current Columbus State students in the automotive program, and incumbent workers in jobs at dealerships. A new financial literacy and professional development workshop will be developed to address topics such as completing a FAFSA, managing personal finances, and acquiring tools as a technician. Automotive technology labs will be upgraded with advanced diagnostic equipment that will help increase the capacity of the labs to accommodate more students and provide students with experiences using the latest technology. The project will use institutional data, surveys, and student interviews to assess the impact of the project on students and industry partners. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced- technology fields that drive the nation?s economy.
This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The Auto Fast Track program is an experimental earn and learn model. The primary objective for Fast Track is to allow entry-level technicians who show potential to receive training to move into a mid-level technician position at their employer. This approach allows employers to become an education partner with personal stake in student technician success. The program's positive outcomes are related to the three objectives tied to the social benefits of a lucrative career in the automotive industry.
Outcomes:
The objectives of this grant and associated positive outcomes are as follows:
1) pilot and scale a collaboratively developed and industry-led earn and learn model design including foundational technical coursework and field experience.
The Auto Fast Track Program developed by Columbus State significantly impacted the students and employment partners. Students had a notably high rate of program completion. Employment partners noted that former Fast Track students show a significantly better rate of retention, accelerated career progression, and are well prepared for further professional development and training.
2) To increase the education pipeline by targeting high schools and local career and technical centers in a high school awareness initiative for automotive careers and opportunities.
While primarily a recruitment effort, the Auto-Tech Career Nights, which featured Fast Track Programming, brought broader beneficial outcomes in terms of community building within the regional auto industry. Students, Columbus State faculty and staff, and employment partners. The career nights had increased participation for all three years, with surveyed participants consistently indicating that they valued the ability to network with one another.
3) To create an Employer Guide for additional partners to replicate the earn and learn model.
The created Employer guide provides a source for ongoing community benefit in that it provides a template for the continued development of the Fast Track model with its proven benefits to students. The employers guide also has intellectual merit in that it makes the lessons learned transferable to other institutions and employers.
In conclusion, the Auto Fast Track program created community benefit in the form of a new earn and learn model that has positive outcomes in the regional automotive industry community. This is evident in the rate that former students are retained at their employers and the accelerated career progress of those retained employees. Community impact is also notable in the increased ability of students to network with potential employers and Columbus State representatives at Auto tech Career night events. Finally, the Employers Guide is a new resource for continuing and further developing the promising practices of Fast Track at Columbus State and beyond.
Last Modified: 10/22/2024
Modified by: Ian T Andrews
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