Automating Alabama's Future: Producing Advanced Automation Technicians

In the southern region of the United States, Alabama has become a manufacturing hub for the automotive, aerospace and aviation industries. Technological advances in recent years are changing Alabama's manufacturing industry. The number of jobs for technicians in this advanced manufacturing industry is growing rapidly, and there is shortage of skilled workers to fill this need. To help meet this need, Gadsden State Community College will work with industry partners to develop an advanced industrial automation program to prepare a greater number of technicians skilled in the blend of mechanical, electrical, and computerized technologies - also known as "mechatronics." The new program will be designed to provide students with the important knowledge and skills to operate, troubleshoot, repair, and make design changes to the kinds of equipment and operations that they would work with on the job. The program will also allow existing workers to upgrade their skills. This project will include activities that help to increase the interest of more female students in advanced technician careers. The Alabama Community College System will also promote the new program as a teaching model for other colleges to help fill the demand for skilled workers in Alabama and the nation.

The goal of this project will be to develop an advanced mechatronics program that has an integrated lab component to prepare highly-skilled technicians in advanced manufacturing. The curriculum will offer two new short-term programs leading to advanced certificates in Mechatronics and Robotics. The program will incorporate the innovative Mechatronics Laboratory comprised of an integrated and automated production line. The laboratory equipment consists of a line-based manufacturing system which integrates advanced programmable logic controllers, robotics, and electronics with the intelligent machines used in production. This line system will have the flexibility to be used as an entire production line for troubleshooting or divided into individual stations. This new approach to lab instruction will provide students with opportunities to learn integrated skills required for the workplace. The project will hold outreach events to enhance the interest and recruitment of females, high school students, as well as displaced or underemployed workers into mechatronics and robotics areas of the advanced manufacturing field.