👷♂️ESE Newsletter #1: Put me to work for you and for Western PA!
Grant money… There is more funding up for grabs right now than I have ever seen. All too often though, educators will work so hard on getting the money, then rush to spend it on equipment and technology that becomes outdated, unsupported or just otherwise neglected. In our case however, we can work together to set you up with future-proof, expandable technology and equipment.
Yes I know, I’m just a greedy salesman, but I am a salesman who wants you to look forward to working with me today, tomorrow, and into the future indefinitely. That is why you should put me to work to be a resource for you!
Maybe this comes from racing sports cars (just won my last race in a spec Miata in New Hampshire FYI), but I’m a very competitive person. Not only for myself, but for my customers, my manufacturing partners and for western Pennsylvania. There are many schools in other areas going after various funding sources to implement technology and programming at a faster rate than we are.
While it's true I can spend all day long telling you why our solutions and industry partners are better than what you’ve experienced in the past, I’d rather be even more honest with you... I just want to win (like in the Miata). To do that though, we have to work together. We have to strategize, stay committed, and execute a plan. I can help you go after various funding sources to get new equipment, enhance your existing programming, create new programming, and upskill your instructors.
Let’s get to work and win!!!
Highlights From Our Region
For our inaugural newsletter, we invited Michael Rinsem, Endowed Professor of Technical Curriculum at The Community College of Allegheny County, wearer of every hat, and Star Wars fanatic, to answer a few questions relevant to our region.
1. What do you see as the biggest gap in the pipeline between technical education and local industry in Pennsylvania?
* The Community College of Allegheny County has identified a growing need for trained technicians in the industrial automation industry and has launched several initiatives out of our Regional Workforce Development Committee. The largest project includes a new facility at our Allegheny campus on the North Side which will house multiple programs including Culinary, Cybersecurity, Industrial Robotics, Mechatronics, CNC Fabrication, and Building Automation Systems.
These fields were identified as areas of need through our internal study as well as external studies such as the Inflection Point by Allegheny Conference. Through these studies, it was determined that the region would need trained employees in these fields and there was not enough talent in the pipeline.
Through these new programs, CCAC intends to provide hands-on training and certifications to students who wish to pursue a career in Advanced Manufacturing and Automation.
2. What makes your program unique from what you’ve done in the past?
* Upon identifying the gap in qualified employees in our region, CCAC has developed new programming in the area of Advanced Manufacturing. These programs will focus on hands-on training where students will work with equipment that they will actually find in the field and gain experience in real-world environments.
In addition to this real-world equipment approach, a focus on employability skills and work ethic will be integrated throughout the programs. To ensure that we meet the needs of our students, we are working with the National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) to be able to offer our students the latest in cutting edge certifications on the equipment they will be utilizing for their training as well as in their careers.
These certifications offer prospective employers the comfort to know their future employee has demonstrated a level of knowledge in their field.
3. What does success look like for you and our region with your new program?
* Our success is always viewed through the success of our students. We have worked closely with local industry partners as well the K-12 sector in developing this vision for our region and we are excited for the potential this has for our region.
As a community college, our success is always viewed by the first word in our name – Community. Through these programs, we hope to expand career opportunities for those students in our region while also becoming the talent provider to existing and new businesses in our area.
We expect to see high placement rates upon the launch of these programs and to receive feedback from employers that our students are highly trained and qualified for their position. In addition, we expect our students to move up rapidly in their careers and build upon their training to mold their future.
4. What technology or training track are you most excited about?
* While we have many programs on the horizon that are quite exciting, asking me to choose my favorite is like asking me which child is my favorite!
However, I do secretly have a soft spot for the Industrial Automation programming that is on the way. This program will bring some of the best cutting-edge robots and automation equipment to our new facility at our Allegheny Campus and I am excited to see how students can utilize this equipment in ways that we may not have even considered.
With the deployment of equipment such as the Festo CP Lab and Collaborative Robots from Universal Robotics, CCAC will have a large number of resources to offer our students.
5. How would you encourage other educators in the Pittsburgh area to collaboratively elevate our technical, vocational, and engineering education?
* I view the current need for employees in the field of Advanced Manufacturing as a regional emergency. If we do not embrace this shift in industry and continue to rest on historical training, these jobs and businesses will be forced to relocate to an area that has the labor pool to support such business.
In this way, we must work together to ensure that our region becomes a destination for such business and our region will benefit as a whole from this new industry. Based upon the research in this area, there is a very large labor gap coming and no one institution can address this labor shortage on their own.
This is the reason CCAC has been working with several higher education facilities in the area and we encourage others to join us in this vision for our region. Together we can ensure that we create the Pittsburgh of tomorrow and create jobs for future generations to come.
*BONUS ROUND – Who is the most underrated Star Wars character and why?
* This answer is obviously Admiral Ackbar. Upon becoming the supreme commander of the rebel alliance, Ackbar commanded the fleet during the Battle of Endor which proved to be a pivotal moment in the fight against the Empire.
It was during this battle that Ackbar uttered the phrase “It’s a trap!” which forever changed the history of the Star Wars universe. Had the Admiral not acted with such swift and agile tactics, the entire rebel fleet could have been decimated at the hands of the Empire and the Death Star.
Due to Ackbar’s quick thinking, he was able to adjust his attack strategy and successfully destroy the Death Star, thus, sending the Empire scrambling to the Unknown Regions and allowing the rise of the New Republic. While these actions should be enough to certify Ackbar as the most important character in the war, he further solidified his legacy by returning from retirement to lead the Resistance in the battle to destroy the Starkiller Base.
Upon living a life of service to the New Republic, Ackbar would later find himself on the Raddus where he would be killed as the ship was brutally ambushed by a group of First Order TIE Fighters. The New Republic will be forever grateful to Ackbar for his service and ability to identify traps.
Announcements
Festo LX
For anyone interested in gaining Industry 4.0 skill sets, Festo LX is a great place to start.
Preparing for the future of work means gaining valuable knowledge and upskilling in areas of digitalization such as: big data, robotics, IIoT, Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and more.
Discover your own learning path by checking out new digital learning offerings on Festo LX of more than 350 titles, accessible remotely.
Please explore the Festo Learning Experience by creating a free test account.
NC3 TtT is back!
NC3 Train the Trainer (TtT) back IN PERSON! This October, join educators and experts at the first in-person training event in 2021. Not only is this a great opportunity for professional development but it’s absolutely the best way to network and learn from other instructors on these key areas.
Be sure to bookmark the link and check back often but we’ll also let you know here.
Grants
Below is a short overview of some of the funding that's available. Let's talk so we can work together to figure out which funding source and which solutions have the highest chance of success for your program.
A micro grant (of up to 5,000) is being offered by Educators of America. Another grant is being offered by the FCC as ARP: Emergency Connectivity Fund. Festo LX is a perfect fit to address the requirements of this grant and to set you with a learning experience platform to provide you a digital backbone for STEM programming. Please reach out to me directly to discuss the available content in Festo LX that could best enhance your program.
The National Science Foundation is offering the Advanced Technological Education grant that focuses on two year colleges. This is a great opportunity to reconfigure your labs with a turnkey interior design and PEPPM sourced, Greene Manufacturing vocational furnishings.
Let’s schedule a call to dive into a particular funding source so I can help supercharge your program.
Events
2021 Workforce Development Symposium
Register for the upcoming Workforce Development Symposium from September 20-22, 2021 at The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College, PA. Registrations are filling FAST, so use this link to register today!
You can attend in-person or virtually.