South Carolina Advanced Technological Education Center of Excellence In touch with industry through Engineering Technology Education

The Need: Tremendous Demand for Engineering Technicians b Record-breaking investments in SC since ’95. b 100,000 new jobs since ’95. b Shortage of engineering technicians exists nationally and in South Carolina. b More than 15,000 technology-intensive jobs unfilled in SC, according to SC Technology Alliance.

Career Opportunities b Number of technician jobs projected to increase 20 percent from 1996 to 2006, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor. b Nationally, median earnings for an engineering technician fall between $20,200 and $54,800.

Ride the ET Wave b SC Advanced Technological Education can help students ride the high-tech wave that is revolutionizing the way the world does business.

What do engineering technicians do? b Support the work of engineers and scientists. b Work with: Manufacturing.Manufacturing. Engineering operation.Engineering operation. Product design and development.Product design and development. Process design.Process design. Quality control.Quality control. Production.Production.

ET careers offer : b A good job with good pay. b Challenges and rewards. b Teamwork. b An opportunity to find practical solutions to technical problems. b A chance to implement solutions through hands- on activities.

The SC ATE Vision b Increase the quantity, quality and diversity of engineering technicians in South Carolina.

Tools being used to meet student learning needs. b Industry-modeled faculty and student teams. b Learning science, mathematics, technology and communications in the context of solving real- world industry problems. b Hands-on, active learning in the classroom.

SC ATE Curriculum b Technology Gateway : Integrates communications, mathematics and physics/technology and includes career exploration. Three courses taken concurrently. b First-year Engineering Technology Core: Concurrent study of mathematics, physics, communications and technology. ET Core is for students enrolling in any ET major.

ET Associate Degree Programs include: b Electronics engineering technology b Engineering graphics technology b Mechanical engineering technology b Civil engineering technology b Chemical engineering technology b General engineering technology

Strengths of the SC ATE Experience b Very high student success rate. b Every day answers the question “Why am I learning this?” b Ties together the subject areas of mathematics, science, engineering technology and communications. b Uses student teams to solve industry problems.

Strengths of SC ATE b Additional support is provided from instructors because they are part of a teaching team. b Provides more hands-on instruction, giving students an opportunity to apply what they are learning. b Equips students for the workplace.

SC ATE Results b The SC ATE approach greatly reduces the student dropout rate in engineering technology programs. b More than 90 percent of students who participated in the curriculum pilot study have continued their course of study and are doing well. b 90% of SC technical colleges plan to implement SC ATE within 2 years.

Industry Support b SC Department of Commerce & SC Technology Alliance are state-level partners in the SC ATE Scholars initiative. b ATE colleges and local industries are forming Scholars consortia.

SC ATE Scholars b Industries offer students competitive technical college scholarships and work experience. b Industries are involved in selecting students. b Industries will benefit from more workplace- ready technicians.

ATE student comments: b “I think if you know how everything fits together and how you will use it that it will be easier to learn and remember.” b “The integrated curriculum has prepared me so that I will be able to apply what I have learned to my job and have a better understanding of what is expected of me.”

SC ATE Center of Excellence b Producing greater numbers of more highly skilled engineering technicians for the South Carolina economy. b Preparing students for the technology- intensive workplace of today -- and tomorrow.