Creating Advanced Manufacturing Pathways Program

In an effort to address the growing regional need for a skilled technical workforce, Arkansas State University Newport (ASUN), a comprehensive two-year community college with three campuses in northeastern Arkansas, will consolidate current insights from employers, ongoing research in career and technical education, and an established credentialing program to strengthen their advanced manufacturing program. The ASUN Creating Advanced Manufacturing Pathways Program (CAMPP) seeks to realign the existing ASUN advanced manufacturing program to meet the current and emerging needs of regional industry. This includes the need to increase the diversity of the regional advanced manufacturing workforce to include students from underrepresented demographic groups. Finally, ASUN will provide reskilling and upskilling opportunities in new technologies for incumbent workers in advanced manufacturing.

The plan to realign ASUN's advanced manufacturing program with the needs of regional industry was partially informed by a survey conducted by the program's faculty and advisory board. Roughly half the respondents felt that there were educational gaps for new employees, and there was insufficient support for on-the-job training. To address these concerns, ASUN faculty will work with the advanced manufacturing advisory board to identify opportunities for curricular enhancements with a focus on incorporating training on contemporary tools in American manufacturing. To recruit a diverse population of new students, ASUN will integrate an extensive outreach effort to area middle and high schools through invitations to events such as the industry-sponsored annual Manufacturing Day festivities and focused efforts to recruit, mentor, and train students underrepresented in the manufacturing workforce. ASUN will also work with incumbent workers to participate in relevant and convenient courses on topics ranging from automation and robotics to 3D printing and additive manufacturing.