Electronics and Engineering Technician Training in High Technology for the 21st Century

As technological innovation continues to determine the competitiveness of U.S. industries, businesses are seeking employees who possess the skills to engage with new technologies being adopted across a variety of sectors. In response, Suffolk County Community College’s (SCCC) Electronics and Engineering Technician Training in High Technology for the 21st Century (ETECH-21) will develop advanced technological training and virtual hands-on lab activities that incorporate some of these latest technologies, such as applied artificial intelligence and machine learning and microcontroller electronic devices.

With guidance from industry, the initiative will engage 120 college students, 12 high school teachers and 30 high school students in new curriculum and lab activities; design and implement an innovative remote lab, which will provide 24/7 access to virtual lab equipment for students, faculty and industry partners; offer internships with industry partners such as Brookhaven National Laboratory, Tesla, and Curtis Wright, among others; and provide training to faculty and high school educators.

To increase the participation of underrepresented students, SCCC will collaborate with area high schools and women-focused STEM organizations to promote enhanced STEM educational pathways among K-12 women and minority students. Dissemination of project innovations and best practices will be achieved through presentations at regional, state, and national conferences.

Project evaluation will focus on several key components. First is the extent project activities are completed with quality and within the anticipated timeline. Second is the degree to which the activities result in the proposed outcomes.

Third is to investigate how much the project increases regional capacity to grow and train the advanced technological workforce. Fourth is to gauge the extent to which the project creates a seamless pathway for inquiry-based STEM learning, particularly for the participation of underrepresented students. And fifth is to examine the extent to which the project fosters collaboration among scientific, engineering, industry, higher education, and secondary schools to expand ATE knowledge.

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.