| NSF Org: |
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 11, 2014 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | August 11, 2014 |
| Award Number: | 1407160 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Heather Watson
DUE Division Of Undergraduate Education EDU Directorate for STEM Education |
| Start Date: | August 15, 2014 |
| End Date: | July 31, 2018 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $699,970.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $699,970.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
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| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
360 HUNTINGTON AVE BOSTON MA US 02115-5005 (617)373-5600 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
MA US 02115-5005 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): |
S-STEM-Schlr Sci Tech Eng&Math, Advanced Tech Education Prog |
| Primary Program Source: |
1300XXXXDB H-1B FUND, EDU, NSF |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.076 |
ABSTRACT
Unlike technical majors such as engineering, unemployment among non-technical majors is high; 8.9% for Social Sciences and 9.4% for Liberal Arts graduates. Unemployment or underemployment of a high percentage of these recent college graduates is problematic for the economic vitality of our nation. These students do not contribute to the nation's economic growth through either their intellectual skills or their spending power.
In this project, Northeastern University and MassBay Community College are collaboratively implementing an innovative TRANSFORM model to retool the skill set of liberal arts college graduates to prepare them for careers in manufacturing. The project is enabling the targeted population to step into the advanced manufacturing jobs that otherwise go unfilled due to shortage of qualified job seekers nationwide. The TRANSFORM program is also increasing the awareness of manufacturing careers among members of underrepresented groups.
The TRANSFORM model is using the share-the-burden approach among the concerned constituents (government, industry and technical education providers). The modular, 12-month fast-track curriculum of the TRANSFORM program includes courses and internships. The industry-based internships are providing students with project-based learning experience to facilitate students' career transition. TRANSFORM is offering a scalable pedagogically proven manufacturing curriculum for liberal arts graduates that can be replicated at the local, regional, and national levels, and in other sectors such as energy. Social media is being used to reach out to liberal arts graduates on a broad scale.
The three guiding evaluation questions for this project are:
1) What is an appropriate model of self-efficacy associated with preparing the target population to confidently and capably enter the manufacturing workforce?
2) Do the various components of the program successfully prepare the target population to enter the manufacturing workforce?
3) What institutional capacities are needed to sustain the program over time?
PUBLICATIONS PRODUCED AS A RESULT OF THIS RESEARCH
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PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
Overview:
TRANSOFRM is a collaborative effort between MassBay Community College and Northeastern University. TRANSFORM investigative an innovative transformative model that enrolls non-technical liberal arts graduates in one-year long advanced manufacturing certificate program. The program has two certificates: manufacturing technology and manufacturing innovation.
31 students participated in the two certificate programs over the life of the grant. Additional students were taking various modular courses developed specifically for these programs.
Student Information:
- 25 male and 6 female.- English was not their first language for 8 students
- 9 students did not have previous higher education degrees, 9 students received previous higher education degrees in a non-STEM areas, and 13 students came with a previous higher education degree in a STEM related filed.
- 13 were full time students, 18 were part time students
- 10 students continued their higher education and/or 16 students found relevant permanent employment, 12 students completed relevant internships
Intellectual merit:
The vision of TRANSFORM is motivated by the opportunity to leverage creative talents of liberal arts students in advanced manufacturing, a segment of the workforce that has long been underemployed. The TRANSFORM program uses the share-the-burden philosophy among the concerned constituents: government, industry and students. Government helps create manufacturing jobs; industry provides internships to students; and students learn and redirect their careers to fill the nation’s workforce needs in manufacturing. The TRANSFORM proposed model is new to the USA, but has been implemented in Europe with great success. TRANSFORM delivers a new curriculum model, a new co-op model, and a new student advising system; all tailored to effectively transition liberal arts graduates to the advanced manufacturing workforce.
Broader Impacts:
The TRANSFORM vision aligns itself with the Massachusetts manufacturing policy and the legislation support. The TRANSFORM program, being implemented at the community college level, will target women and minority in need of advancing their careers, and will increase awareness of manufacturing careers among urban students. The project will result in improved partnerships between academic institutions, including higher learning, community colleges and secondary schools. TRANSFORM impact is further strengthened by its integration with various NSF funded projects both at MBCC and NU, such as CAPSULE and STEP-UP, other state or federally funded projects such as Masachusetts Advanced Manufacturing Partnership (AMP it up!) sponsored by MetroWest Tinkershop program, and the Department of Labor Transformation Agenda at MassBay. The outcomes of TRANSFORM will be widely disseminated through technical publications, conference presentations, and outreach activities of NU’s STEM Center and community network of MBCC. Dissemination activities target both engineering and liberal arts faculty at community colleges and 4-year transfer institutions as well as high school teachers and guidance counselors.
Outcomes:
1. pedagogically proven manufacturing curriculum for liberal arts graduates that can be replicated at the local, regional and national levels;
2. qualified community college faculty who can address the needs of manufacturing workforce development;
3. a repository for TRANSFORM curriculum model, best practices, and community support;
4. a new co-op program model tailored for liberal arts graduates.
Last Modified: 10/14/2018
Modified by: Ibrahim Zeid
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