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Opportunities for Students and Faculty Stemming from Engineering Technology Program Reform Abstract

Burlington County College (BCC) is implementing the findings of an institution-level reform of its Engineering Technology programs in order to create meaningful job opportunities for displaced and incumbent workers, work-based activities and/or internships for students, and faculty development opportunities. In addition, the findings of this Engineering Technology program reform effort will be tailored to develop initiatives to increase enrollment in the Engineering Technology Programs, with special attention to under-represented students. The goal of this synergistic approach is to promote and improve discussion, collaboration, and the working relationship among interested stakeholders vested in the central/southern NJ manufacturing-related industry. This project has brought together a robust consortium made up of secondary schools, a community college, a four-year university, workforce development professionals, and industry leaders. The approach of cooperative interaction is expected to serve as a model for transforming a community college technical education program in an effort to create a seamless and meaningful educational and work-entry pathway for future engineering technologists and technicians. This project is based upon work supported by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program at the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grant No. 0703836.

Introduction

The demand for highly-skilled manufacturing engineers and technicians is a growing concern in Burlington County and throughout New Jersey. Manufacturers in the state of New Jersey employ approximately 345,000 workers, 10% of the private sector workforce.1 In Burlington County alone, over 20,500 people are employed by manufacturing companies.2 Although some areas within the manufacturing sector have declined in recent years, there continues to be a strong demand for highly-specialized technicians who can bring critical technology skills to the manufacturing environment in order to affect operational efficiencies and cost reductions. For example, the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development (2004) projects3 that demand for industrial engineering technicians (Associates degree holders) within Burlington County will continue to rise by 5.7% through 2012. Furthermore, statistical data from the US Census Bureau4 (Local Employment Dynamics) indicates that in the first quarter of 2005, Burlington County had a total of 1,039 jobs created within the manufacturing sector. This figure represents 20% of the total number of manufacturing jobs created in New Jersey during that time period. Despite the growth within the advanced manufacturing sector, the demand for highly skilled technicians is exceeding the supply. According to the June 27, 2006 SHRM/Rutgers Leading Indicator of National Employment (LINE) report5, 39.8% of the 500 manufacturers surveyed reported an increase in the number of vacant positions; a 7% increase from June 2005. The LINE analysts suggest that, “there is no longer a large pool of qualified job seekers eager to move into open positions.”

New Jersey employers and industry leaders have expressed their interest in working with higher education to overcome these employment challenges in an effort to increase the quantity and

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Spang, D., & Genis, V. (2010, June), Opportunities For Students And Faculty Stemming From Engineering Technology Program Reform Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--16422