AMTEC Launching 2026 Professional Development Sessions for Educators Nationwide
Owensboro, KY (01/23/2026) — AMTEC, a national collaborative of educational and industry partners committed to preparing highly skilled industrial maintenance and mechatronic technicians, is hosting the AMTEC Institute for Industry 4.0 Innovation (NSF Award No. 2350012), due to a National Science Foundation grant award. Since 2018, AMTEC has been housed at Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC), and has been a recipient of multiple National Science Foundation ATE grants that have focused largely on diversifying student populations within manufacturing programs, offering competency-based educational opportunities, and fortifying partnerships with both industry and educational professionals.
The AMTEC Institute for Industry 4.0 Innovation (AI3) seeks to build upon past projects and to expand the latest Industry 4.0 technologies into classrooms across the United States. This institute is providing free professional development opportunities and resources to manufacturing instructors at high schools, community and technical colleges, and universities from across the United States. The program was awarded in 2024 with the intent to serve at least 100 instructors. Training sessions began in 2025, and throughout the year, 54 instructors from 15 states and 45 schools, colleges, and administrations attended and had the opportunity to learn the latest skills relevant to manufacturing while also networking with their peers.
"Attending the AMTEC AI3 training was a game-changer. It equipped me with hands-on experience in Industry 4.0 technologies and gave me the tools to confidently bring these innovations into my classroom.," says Sergio Sgro, Professor at Eastern Kentucky University and May 2025 AI3 participant.
During 2026, AMTEC is once again collaborating with partners zSpace and Multi-Skill Training Services (MST) to provide hands-on training sessions (two days for each session). zSpace, a world leader in virtual reality technology, will provide training with a focus on virtual and augmented reality tools. MST, a leader with over 30 years of direct industrial training services, will provide customized equipment and related training. Supportive sessions on artificial intelligence, Competency-Based Education, and potential funding resources will be shared by presenters, Dr. Ryan Hall, Jason Simon, and Christi Midkiff from the OCTC/AMTEC Teams and Dr. Mike Rodgers from Wilkes Community College. The 2026 trainings have been scheduled for the following dates:
March 17-18, 2026
May 19-20, 2026
June 16-17, 2026
October 6-7, 2026
Stipends will be provided to faculty who complete program requirements, and travel assistance will be available depending on their location.
In addition, AMTEC has been providing continued guidance through online Community of Practice sessions, scheduled monthly, to offer additional tips and resources. Past speakers have included representatives from partners and organizations such as UniFirst, ATE Central, and the Competency-Based Education Network. Future guest speakers for upcoming sessions include Dr. Ann Beheler, developer of the Business and Industry Leadership Team model, and Eric Wooldridge, Director of the KCTCS Additive Manufacturing Center at Somerset Community College.
"The AMTEC team is very excited about offering additional training sessions during 2026, and we invite instructors teaching manufacturing, automation, engineering, and related programs who can benefit from the program to join us.," said Jason Simon, Director of AMTEC and Principal Investigator of the AI3 grant project. "Over the past year, we were able to see instructors skill-up, network, and return to the classroom with excitement. This year is slated to be just as great, and we are looking forward to working with our partners to meet instructors who are ready to incorporate modern manufacturing skills into the classroom."
For more information or to register for a training session, call 270-686-4410 or email cadie.underwood@kctcs.edu. Learn more by visiting their website at: https://amtecworkforce.org/amtec-institute-for-industry-4-0-innovation-ai3/
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Owensboro Community & Technical College is one of the sixteen community and technical colleges that make up the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. OCTC serves the KY counties of Daviess, Hancock, Ohio and McLean. OCTC has three campuses in Daviess County and a Center and Annex in Hancock County. OCTC strives to serve the communities in the service area by providing associate degree education for transfer, state of the art technical education for students focusing on entering the workforce, customized business and industry solutions through the Workforce Solutions division, and adult education and business and industry testing through the SkillTrain unit.
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The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.
Connect with OCTC: Owensboro.kctcs | Facebook.com/owensboroctc | Twitter@OCTC_Tweets | Instagram OwensboroCTC
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Bernie Hale (270) 686-4506, Bernie.hale@kctcs.eduShare this Story
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