OCTC Receives Grant from National Science Foundation
Owensboro, KY (05/05/2022) — Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) received a $556,314 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for training the current and future workforce with increased Industry 4.0 skills that are critical in the post-pandemic manufacturing industry. This new three-year initiative titled Reskilling Manufacturing Technicians Post-COVID with an Industry 4.0 Competency-Based Solution begins May 1, 2022. It will increase partnerships between the college, industry, and other stakeholders to upskill incumbent workers and build a pipeline of new highly skilled technicians.
"This project will help address the growing skills gap of employees in the manufacturing industry that, if not resolved, will impact the economic health of the Greater Owensboro region," said OCTC President Scott Williams.
OCTC's Reskilling Manufacturing Technicians Post-COVID with an Industry 4.0 Competency-Based Solutionproject focuses on developing a competency-based education (CBE) strategy as an industry-responsive approach to training for current and future manufacturing technicians. This strategy will offer unique and creative learning opportunities that fit the needs of employers and individuals, particularly working adults. Additionally, project efforts will encourage underserved groups (i.e. women and minorities) to consider manufacturing as a viable career choice.
"The implementation process will involve incorporating Industry 4.0 competencies into a competency-based delivery model offering advanced manufacturing courses that lead to short-term credit-bearing, industry-recognized certificates, and two national certifications," said grant PI Sheri Plain.
Six of the certificates are stackable credentials that bank toward a diploma and the Industrial Maintenance Technology and/or Electrical Technology AAS degrees at OCTC should participants choose to continue their education. The project goal is to increase the skill levels of at least 60 incumbent manufacturing technicians and/or dislocated and underemployed workers who will learn Industry 4.0 technologies for successful mastery and application on the job.
"This new and innovative NSF project has the potential to create a significant impact on workforce development locally, as well as throughout the state and the nation," said OCTC President Dr. Scott Williams.
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. For more information on this new project, contact Sheri Plain at sheri.plain@kctcs.edu or 270-686-4436.
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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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