Manufacturing Technology Program for North Central Alabama

This project is responding to a growing demand for technically trained employees for automotive manufacturing industries in north central Alabama. The faculty at Jefferson State Community College (JSCC) formed partnerships with regional manufacturers, area secondary schools, universities, and the Alabama Technology Network to develop a Manufacturing Technology Training Center. Over $2 million has been spent to renovate and equip the facility, which serves college and high school students as well as economically disadvantaged adults referred from the "One-Stop" career center established through the Workforce Investment Act. The Center offers degrees, certificates and short-term training in five manufacturing-related tracks. This project focuses on two tracks: industrial maintenance and automated manufacturing. The project goal is to meet the workforce needs of area manufacturing industries by fully developing curricula for industrial maintenance and automated manufacturing that integrates technical experiences into the classroom and laboratory, and is complemented with workforce experience. The four major goals are to: (1) Develop faculty trained to teach in these two programs, (2) Establish specific program requirements including entry and exit requirements for certificate, degree, and short term training that correlate with specific assessments and standards, (3) Fully develop and teach each course in these two programs, and (4) Develop additional partnerships with industries, secondary schools and colleges to establish comprehensive 2+2+2 programs in industrial maintenance and automated manufacturing. The curriculum development team composed of JSCC faculty, industry representatives and educators from local high schools and universities has developed the curriculum. DACUM and/or Work Keys processes were used to establish specific academic and technical skills required for employment in each area. This information has been organized into courses within the Alabama Common Course and Curriculum Guide for Colleges and Universities.