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Title: Preparing Advanced Manufacturing Technicians for the Workplace: Perspectives from Rural Employers
In this work-in-progress paper, we present the preliminary results of semi-structured interviews conducted with advanced manufacturing (AM) employers in rural communities to understand the workplace skills they seek. This study, part of a larger effort to document Northwest Florida’s rural AM employers’ desired competencies, identified employability skills valuable for entry-level technician positions. The employers who participated in this study represented the growing AM industry sub-sectors of timber, pipeline, and textiles. Our findings suggest that rural employers face challenges common to all AM employers: 1) the need for workplace skills, such as a strong commitment to teamwork and ongoing professional development; and 2) difficulties in encouraging employees’ transitions from job to career pathway, thus increasing their in-field persistence. These results have implications for educational institutions that offer AM degrees and for graduates who seek rural employment in the AM field.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1700581
NSF-PAR ID:
10172225
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
ASEE annual conference exposition proceedings
ISSN:
2153-5868
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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