At Cross-Purposes: Reimagining Workforce Training and An Affordable Solution to Train Aspiring Engineers and Technicians

Audience Level: 
All
Institutional Level: 
Higher Ed
Streamed: 
Streamed
Special Session: 
Community College/TAACCCT
Abstract: 

Discover how you too can reimagine your workforce training from a professor who developed an affordable solution for the courses he teaches to train aspiring engineers and technicians. This session will explore the process used to develop an almost free course with the addition of a low-cost programmable logic controller (PLC). Students can be remote or in a classroom and the textbooks, guided lessons with video tutorials as well as labs are all Free. This is workforce training reimagined with an affordable solution! 

Extended Abstract: 

Discover how you too can reimagine your workforce training from a professor who developed an affordable solution for the courses he teaches to train aspiring engineers and technicians. This session will explore the process used to develop an almost free course with the addition of a low-cost programmable logic controller (PLC). Students can be remote or in a classroom and the textbooks, guided lessons with video tutorials as well as labs are all Free. This is workforce training reimagined with an affordable solution! 

The courses developed in this program use the PLC to train aspiring engineers and technicians. It gives motivation to those who show interest or potentially might show interest in a career in automation. The courses are outlined at the website: hybridplc.org. The courses’ texts and videos are Free. The videos discuss a number of low-cost programming trainers as well as a group of low-cost lab experiments. The student can be remote or in a classroom. Encouragement comes from the videos and texts. The goal is to train those possibly interested in automation and grow the workforce in Ohio.

Conference Track: 
Workforce, Career, and Industry Connections for Student Learning
Session Type: 
Discovery Session Asynchronous
Intended Audience: 
Design Thinkers
Faculty
Students
Training Professionals