North Carolina Regional Center for Plastics Manufacturing

An unmet need exists for associate level technician education programs that target rural and minority populations. In North Carolina, rapid growth in emergent technology-intensive sectors is creating opportunities for skilled technicians, even as the State's traditional economic powerhouses of textiles, tobacco and agricultural continue their precipitous decline. A serious disconnect exists between the skill sets that satisfied the traditional industries and those required by new sectors. The Eastern North Carolina Plastics Technology Consortium was created to address these impediments as they affect the plastics industry. The three-year program is leveraging resources of multiple community colleges to educate students for careers as technicians in plastics manufacturing. Catalyzed by industry requests, the Consortium has secured State funding for facility construction and approval from the North Carolina Community College System to develop an AAS degree program in plastics technology. Students complete the first year of courses at their respective home institutions and a second year of technology-intensive, hands-on courses at a shared centrally-located facility. Goals include curricular reform based on industry standards, professional development for faculty including industrial experiences, and recruitment and retention of students using an innovative mentoring model that calls on faculty and industry partners.