The Puget Sound Consortium for Manufacturing Excellence (PSCME) has developed a modularized manufacturing technology curriculum based on existing industry skill standards. The curriculum actively engages learners and provides opportunities to transfer the new knowledge. Use the titles below as links to read more!

Interpersonal Effectiveness: Develop interpersonal skills through interactive exercises conducted in a team setting.

Introduction to Manufacturing: Overview of basic manufacturing processes and career opportunities within manufacturing.

Safety in Manufacturing: Critical nature of safety in manufacturing and of the individual’s role in providing for a safe manufacturing environment.

Hazardous Materials: Recognize and safely handle hazardous materials in the workplace.

Manufacturing Field Trip: Helps students gain a realistic picture of employment within the manufacturing sector when visiting the manufacturing plant of an MTAG industry partner.

Total Quality Management: Broad introduction to the quality approaches used in manufacturing.

Statistical Process Control: Overview of Statistical Process Control, showing the value of collecting and analyzing data that enables people to systematically analyze and improve a process.

Applied Mathematics: Students will gain proficiency in applied mathematics.

Interpreting Technical Drawings: Introduces various sources of information found within technical drawings and provides practice interpreting various projections.

Precision Measurement: Various precision measurement instruments including the machinist’s steel rule, the protractor, the vernier caliper, and the one-inch external micrometer.

Manufacturing Planning: Knowledge and skills necessary to organize and plan a manufacturing project. Use of actual planning charts provides direct carryover to the work floor.

Shop Skills: Instruction in the safety procedures and work processes for hand and machine tools used in a metal machine shop.

Job Readiness: Instruction, practice, and feedback in creating resumes, identifying potential jobs, completing job applications, and preparing for and participating in job interviews.

Career Exploration (COMING SOON): This module provides participants with information on different career pathways.

Computer Applications (COMING SOON): This module provides students an overview of where and how computers are used in manufacturing environments.

MERC will be offering a two-part web seminar series on Radio Frequency Identification Devices (RFID) starting in Fall 2005.

The first web seminar will focus on defining RFID and its applications in manufacturing. The second seminar will focus on teaching RFID and how to integrate it into existing manufacturing related programs.

MERC web seminars are free and typically scheduled for 90 minutes. Dates and times for the web seminar series will be posted on the MERC website, within the next few weeks. (Check here regularly for updates.)

In addition to the web seminars, MERC will be posting RFID related resources for educators to browse, download and utilize.

If you are currently doing anything in RFID or if you are interested in speaking about RFID with other educators, please email Jim Houdeshell.

The NCME is partnering with its sister center, NJCATE (the New Jersey Center for Advanced Technological Education) to hold a conference—Advancing Innovations in Engineering Technology Education—at San Diego City College, November 2-4, 2005. Two nights at the Sheraton Suites San Diego and breakfast and lunch on November 3 and 4 are included in the $149 registration fee.

Manufacturing and other engineering technology educators from across the nation will have the opportunity to share best practices and exchange ideas to support and enhance engineering technician education to meet the demands for a more highly-skilled workforce.

The conference is organized around three topics: 1) The Next Frontiers: Programs in Emerging Technologies, including nanotechnology, biomedical technology, bio-manufacturing, and other highly technical fields; 2) Innovations in Curriculum, Methodology, and Pedagogy, including programs and services in engineering technology education, assessment strategies and techniques, and innovative program delivery; and 3) Strategies in Recruitment and Retention, including 2+2+2 programs and effective strategies for recruiting diverse student populations.

Each 75 minute topic forum will begin with a 20-minute presentation of a white paper by a featured speaker, followed by 15-minute presentations submitted by educators. The three forums will each be followed by roundtable discussions facilitated by the featured speaker, as well as NCME and NJCATE personnel.

The conference is limited to 120 participants, so register early! For more information about this exciting opportunity to explore resources and innovations at the two-year and four-year levels, email Gilah Pomeranz, NCME Project Manager, or call her at 937-512-2365.

Published by the NCME. Copyright 2005. All rights reserved.
MERC and the NCME are funded by the National Science Foundation.
Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.