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Project

#431 EV Apprenticeship Programs and Out of this World Supply Chain & Logistics

Principal Investigator
Justin Starr
Status
Active
Start Date
July 1, 2023
End Date
June 30, 2024
Project Type
Education - Workforce Development
Grant Program
US DOT BIL, Safety21, 2023 - 2028 (4811)
Grant Cycle
Safety21 : 23-24
Visibility
Public

Abstract

CCAC is proposing a program that strengthens the programs created under Mobility21 and lays the foundation for the first EV Technician apprenticeship program in the country, based on standards developed by the German government and a consortium of European automakers. Specifically, CCAC proposes to expand our Connected Vehicle Sensors Lab and technician education programs with the purchase of two Ouster lidar units, expand our supply chain and logistics curriculum with the purchase of an additional Skill Boss unit and support of student teams focused on orbital logistics for the Student Spaceflight Experiment Program, design a series of computer vision labs for technician education programs using Arduino hardware, and travel to Germany to receive training from the German government in EV apprenticeship programs.
Description

    
Timeline

    

    
Strategic Description / RD&T

    
Specifically, these technologies will build technician awareness of AI and automated systems and lead to more productive, safer working relationships. This aligns with the following bullet in the Safe Technology section on p. 19: "Leverage innovative technologies to monitor, predict, and plan ways to reduce injuries and
fatalities among the transportation workforce and traveling public." Introducing supply chain and logistics education at the community college level and supporting students in their investigations into how this topics extend in spaceflight supports the "Resilient Supply Chains" Economic Strength and Global Competitiveness Research Priority on p.24. Additionally all of these programs support the "Creating Pathways to Good Quality Jobs" research priority and the "Create High-Quality Jobs and Career Pathways" research objective on p.31. Finally, CCAC will continue to disseminate these best practices so that other community colleges may model our efforts, supporting the "Collect Data and Share Best Practices" research objective on p.30.

    
Deployment Plan

    
Q1 – Order all materials and supplies. Starr and Koch travel to Germany for EV workshop. Select student teams for SSEP and coordinate first round of competition at Moonshot Museum. Instructors enroll in training programs.
Q2 – Setup and configure additional Skill Boss, run first CPT+ course for student industry certifications. Deploy Ousters in connected vehicle sensor lab. Create labs for Computer Vision Arduino Kits. Receive translated EV apprenticeship program materials.
Q3 – Deploy labs in first cohort of mechatronics students for computer vision; integrate Ouster / Velodyne troubleshooting into automotive classes. Segment EV apprenticeship program into courses for credit eligibility.
Q4 – Submit EV apprenticeship program to PA Dept. of Labor for registration. Share out findings at ASEE conference presentation and NSF High Impact Technology Exchange Conference. Present at Smart Mobility Connection where applicable. 

    
Expected Outcomes/Impacts

    
This project will create several frameworks for workforce development as well as freely available curriculum for technician education. As AI and AV technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, it is critical to integrate technician education - beyond automotive technologies. In the Greater Pittsburgh Area, manufacturing technicians report working alongside autonomous transportation systems and using large language models to complete their daily work. Integrating modules on AI and releasing these modules to the public will enable other community colleges and institutions of higher education to adopt these programs without incurring the costs of development. By using apprenticeship programs to implement these programs, we expect to have a direct impact on employers and manufacturers in the regional economy, ensuring impacts extend beyond education. 

    
Expected Outputs

    
Outputs will include: lab manuals, course outlines, SCORM course modules (for systems like Blackboard), a registered apprenticeship program, an interdisciplinary credit certificate program, translated EV materials and curriculum, K12 STEM activities, conference presentations and at least one publication about AI as a Skilled Trade.

    
TRID

    
N/A


    
Individuals Involved

    

        
            

                Email
                Name
                Affiliation
                Role
                Position
            

        
        
            
                

                    rkoch@ccac.edu
                    Koch, Robert
                    Community College of Allegheny County
                    Co-PI
                    Faculty - Tenured
                

            
                

                    jstarr@ccac.edu
                    Starr, Justin
                    Community College of Allegheny County
                    PI
                    Faculty - Tenured
                

            
                

                    grants@ccac.edu
                    Starr, Justin
                    Community College of Allegheny County
                    Other
                    Staff - Business Manager
                

            
    


    
Budget


    
    
Amount of UTC Funds Awarded
 $98618.00
    
Total Project Budget (from all funding sources)
 $196713.48

    
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