Project Description
Results from Prior NSF Support
Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) and partners propose to implement the Preparing Vehicle Technicians for Advanced Transportation Fuels project. The project demonstrates potential to benefit society by preparing the 21st century workforce in Kentucky and the nation to be knowledgeable of the evolving technologies that are transforming the transportation industry. To this end, education and training will be provided to secondary students, two-year college students, incumbent workers, educators, and the general public in Kentucky and nearby states on conventional hybrid, plug-in hybrid electric, and electric vehicle technologies; biodiesel, propane, ethanol, compressed natural gas, and liquefied natural gas; and fuel-cell vehicles.
Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) has been involved with the National Science Foundation since 2007, when the college received an ATE grant to implement the Discover Mechatronics – Next Generation Manufacturing (DUE 0702960) project. Funded from 2007 to 2010 (total $597,870), this ATE project involved implementing a certificate-level Mechatronics dual-enrollment program connected to OCTC’s advanced manufacturing associate degree programs; creating internship opportunities for manufacturing students; establishing K-14 level Mechatronics clubs, academies, and robotics competitions; offering related K-14 teacher professional development opportunities; and implementing focused efforts to promote diversity. Project activities were successfully completed within the grant timeframe and sustained. The final grant evaluation, developed by external evaluator Dr. Richard Hinckley of the Center for Occupational Research and Development, is provided as Attachment A. The following is a summary of the accomplishments related to the Intellectual Merit and Broader Impact activities supported by the award:
Intellectual Merit:
· The project improved student learning in technician education programs by providing student internship opportunities and hands-on, laboratory experiences, as well as high school and college faculty professional development opportunities. Specifically, 133 students participated in career related events, including industry tours, and 207 faculty were trained in advanced manufacturing concepts involved in Mechatronics.
· The project brought industry expertise to bear on delivery of training and leveraged the funding streams of several partners through becoming regional FIRST Lego League (FLL) qualifier site and the Kentucky Affiliate Partner for the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) high school robotics competition. As a result, the project successfully exposed 5,276 youth to STEM education through recruitment activities, with 152 students participating in Mechatronics academies; 172 high school and adult students enrolling in Mechatronics college courses; and 454 students participating in 50 Mechatronics clubs.
Broader Impacts:
· The project worked with employers to address their current and future technician training needs through involving local industry in curriculum development, internship opportunities for students, and guidance in project implementation through service in an advisory capacity. Likewise, distinct and targeted opportunities for industry involvement were encountered, with active engagement of over ten local STEM industries. Alcoa, Domtar, and Time Warner Cable have continued to donate funding to help sustain the project upon the completion of NSF funding.
· The project broadened opportunities for participation by incorporating recruitment and marketing activities which specifically target diverse populations for enrollment in manufacturing programs, including youth, females, minorities, and disabled populations. Specifically, significant participation of female and minority students in project activities occurred. During the grant, minority enrollment in project activities progressed from a baseline of 1% in 2007 to 4.4% by fall 2009. Final records also indicated that of the 162 high school students enrolled in Mechatronics courses, 25% were female, 1.2% racial minority, and 14% disabled.
· Project results were disseminated through a variety of strategies to include distribution of materials and the development of a project website. In addition, faculty presentations were made at the NSF ATE PI conferences in 2008 and 2009; STEMtech in 2010; the annual National Career Pathways Network Conference in 2009, 2010, and 2011; and the American Association of Community College’s MentorLinks project in 2012. Moreover, the project was selected by the Center for Occupational Research and Development (CORD) and U.S. Chamber of Commerce as a model practice for STEM pipeline development to showcase in Thriving in Challenging Times: Connecting Education to Economic Development Through Career Pathways, which was distributed at the 2009 National Career Pathways Network Conference (see Attachment B).
OCTC has three additional NSF grant awards that are currently in progress. In 2011, OCTC received an NSF ATE grant for the Discover STEM – Generation Innovation (DUE 1103605) project (total award $672,286). This three-year ATE project (2011-2014), currently in its third year of implementation, supports the replication of promising practices identified through Discover Mechatronics (DUE 0702960) at five additional community colleges in Kentucky. Through this effort, K-12 students and faculty throughout the state are involved in STEM clubs, academies, and professional development offerings that support student participation in FIRST Lego League and FIRST Tech Challenge robotics competitions at regional, state, and national levels. The project has been very successful in broadening participation of underrepresented groups. Specifically, of the 447 students served, to date, 63% fall within at least one underrepresented student category (21% female, 9% minority, 4% disabled, 26% low-income, and 4% first-generation college students).
In July 2013, OCTC received an NSF S-STEM grant (DUE 1259032) to fund the OCTC ACCESS to STEM project (total award $619,500), through which students will be awarded scholarships to pursue associate’s degrees in STEM. The project is designed to increase participation of academically-talented, financially-disadvantaged students, particularly underrepresented groups, in postsecondary opportunities in STEM areas of demand in Kentucky and the nation; provide support services that promote the retention of scholars to complete a degree and/or transfer to a four-year institution; and support the successful transition of scholars to employment in STEM areas.
Additionally, in July 2013, OCTC received a sub-award through an NSF ATE grant awarded to Jobs for the Future (total award $900,000) for the Work-Based Learning: Preparing Incumbent Workers for Advanced Manufacturing Careers project (DUE 1304249). The purpose of the project is to field test a work-based learning approach for manufacturing technician education for incumbent workers. New work-based learning courses will be adapted from existing courses and National Institute of Manufacturing Standards standards and piloted with incumbent workers in the advanced manufacturing industry in western Kentucky. A suite of professional development tools and multimedia resources will be developed by WGBH Educational Foundation for faculty at other colleges and employers. These tools will also be posted to the PBS LearningMedia digital platform to support wider adoption of a work-based learning design in manufacturing technician education.
As the three NSF awards described are currently in the implementation phase, information on the completed work is not available and therefore not provided. It is also important to note that the Principal Investigator for this proposed project, Michael Rodgers, was involved in the development of an S-STEM proposal at Piedmont Technical College (SC) for the HI-TECH Scholars project (DUE 1060587, $599,064, 2011-2015). Although he was included as a co-PI, he left Piedmont prior to the award being finalized, and therefore, did not dedicate any time and effort to the grant project.
Broader Impacts of The Proposed Project
The broader impacts of the project include:
· Promoting diversity in the workforce by increasing participation of females and other groups underrepresented in STEM (disabled, minorities, low-income, and first-generation college students) in technician training through targeted recruitment efforts based on proven strategies identified through prior successful NSF projects.
· Increasing partnerships between academia, industry, and others to support the evolving transportation industry in Kentucky and the nation, including Consulab, ATECH, Atmos Energy, Cummins, the KY Corn Growers Association, the KY Clean Fuels Coalition, the KY Propane Gas Association, and the KY Department of Energy Development and Independence.
· Widely disseminating project results that will be useful to educators, industry, and government leaders across the nation interested in the evolving science and technology advancements related to advanced transportation technologies and alternative fuels.
· Increasing public science literacy and public engagement with science and technology through a variety of outreach efforts, including a National Alternative Fuel Vehicles Day Odyssey.
Motivating Rationale
The transportation industry in the Unites States has undergone innovative transformation in recent years as global climate change and reduction in oil consumption have become critical priorities of our county.1 In response, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a rule in October 2012, entitled the 2017 and Later Model year Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions and Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standards.2 According to the new rule, vehicle manufacturers must follow CO2 emissions standards that require automobiles to be more fuel-efficient. Specifically, the average miles-per-gallon capacity for passenger cars and light-duty trucks must increase from 35.1 miles-per-gallon in 2017 to 48.7 miles-per-gallon in 2025.3
Consequently, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reports in the Annual Energy Outlook 2013 that sales of light-duty vehicles using diesel, other alternative fuels, hybrid-electric, and all-electric systems are expected to increase from 20% in 2011 to 49% in 2040.4 To this end, light-duty vehicle sales that do not rely solely on gasoline internal combustion engines for motive and accessory power are expected to grow by almost 72% by 2040.5 In addition, EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard requires a minimum volume of biofuels to be used in the national transportation fuel supply each year.6 EPA and NHTSA also established fuel-efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, which set fuel consumption mandates by 2017.7 As a result, tractor trailers, vocational vehicles, buses, heavy-duty pick-ups, and vans are increasingly using compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas, causing natural gas to be the fastest-growing fuel in the transportation sector with an expected average annual growth rate of 11.9% from 2011-2040.8
As the manufacturing of passenger cars and light-, medium-, and heavy-duty vehicles evolves, technician training in automotive and diesel technologies must also advance to ensure an adequate supply of trained, qualified technicians is available to meet workforce demands. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic’s Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment for automotive service technicians and mechanics is expected to grow by 17% (or 124,800 workers) through 2020.9 The same occupational outlook is true for the field of diesel technicians and mechanics, which is expected to experience a growth of 15% (or 35,200 workers) through 2020.10 Similar growth is expected for heavy vehicle and mobile equipment service technicians, anticipated to grow by 16% (28,200 workers) through 2020.11
To meet the occupational demand in Kentucky and the United States, the nation’s community and technical colleges, which serve as the primary training provider for automotive and diesel technician training, must retool and update curriculum to reflect the rapidly changing needs of the transportation industry. In addition, as the industry becomes more science- and technology-driven, training programs must be updated to reflect the needs of employers, who report difficulty finding workers with the right skills and education.12 To meet the needs of today’s employers, training programs must address advanced technologies in the industry, including hybrid vehicles, biofuels, compressed or liquefied natural gas, and retrofitting to comply with environmental standards.13 They should also be designed to increase the number of highly-trained technicians available to fill future workforce needs by promoting diversity in the industry. This can be accomplished by encouraging groups traditionally underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, such as females, minorities, disabled, low-income, and first-generation college students, to pursue automotive and diesel technician careers.
Currently, community and technical college training programs are not keeping up with industry demands. However, several ATE grant programs have been implemented and can serve as models for other community colleges wishing to adapt and update their curriculum, including:
· Pittsburg State University’s Hybrid/Future Power Technology program (DUE 1003570) focuses on curriculum development for hybrid vehicle theory, operation, and service, as outlined by the National Automotive Technical Education Foundation (NATEF).
· Lewis and Clark Community College’s Implementation and Expansion of Science-Based Service Technology in HEVs (DUE 1204362) focused on curriculum development and other activities with hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and introducing HEVs to underrepresented groups.
· Texas State Technical College–Waco’s Development of an Advanced Technical Certificate in Advanced Vehicle Systems (DUE 1204999), involves providing light-duty diesel, compressed natural gas, and hybrid vehicle curriculum, materials, and laboratory development.
· Macomb Community College’s Center for Advanced Automotive Technology (DUE 1003032) is a national center working to reform current automotive technician education at the secondary and postsecondary levels.
Owensboro Community and Technical College, in partnership with the KY Clean Fuels Coalition, Atmos Energy, the KY Propane Gas Association, Cummins Engines, the Department of Energy Development and Independence, ATECH Training, Consulab, and the KY Corn Growers Association, proposes to implement the Preparing Vehicle Technicians for Advanced Transportation Fuels project. The project is designed to build upon the work conducted to date in automotive and diesel technician training at the community college level, as presented above, and to adapt best practices and advancements across the industry with curriculum offerings at OCTC.
Implementation of the proposed project is very timely, as the transportation industry in Kentucky has undergone a variety of innovations in recent years. Kentucky has implemented the Green Fleets of the Bluegrass program that supports improvements to environmental performance of vehicle fleets across the state by reducing petroleum use.14 The state is home to the largest fleet of hybrid-electric school buses in the country.15 E85 stations have been installed across the state.16 Carmeuse Lime uses biodiesel (B99) in their operations at two Kentucky sites with an annual usage of over one million gallons.17 An Electric Vehicle Leadership Team has been established to provide direction for the Plug-In Kentucky efforts.18 The number of compressed natural gas refueling stations doubled in the last year.19 UPS’s worldwide hub, located in Louisville, Kentucky, uses propane in their off-road vehicles.20 Mammoth Cave National Park has invested in multiple transportation-related projects, resulting in an all-advanced technology/alternative fuel vehicle fleet fueled by propane, ethanol, biodiesel, and electricity.21