OMFG_Talent_Grant-Technical-Proposal-and-Abstract-a

Innovative strategies include: specific tactics for engaging new talent Guided Pathways for Youth as well as education and training of adults Acceleration Strategies for Adults, either a

Project Abstract -Approved for Public Release Ohio Manufacturing Talent Expansion for the Defense Industrial Supply Chain Problem: Driven by the concurrent impact of an aging workforce and the rapid pace of new

technology adoption, a significant disparity exists between the number of available manufacturing jobs and the number of qualified applicants

Innovative strategies include: specific tactics for engaging new talent (Guided Pathways for Youth) as well as education and training of adults (Acceleration Strategies for Adults), either as new entrants to the advanced manufacturing workforce or in support of new technology adoption Partners are focused on innovative delivery in partnership with industry, combined with easing the articulation of earned credentials into continued educational pathways NextFlex, America’s Flexible Hybrid Electronic Innovation Institute, serves as a strategic partner

Anticipated Outcomes: Project outcome goals: 1125 individuals engaged/trained with skills that meet needs of Ohio defense industry; 4080 students participate in FlexFactor; 200+ defense industry partners engaged

Ohio is uniquely positioned to serve as a leader in solving workforce challenges facing manufacturing, through a public-private collaboration called the Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership (OMWP), led by the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA), in partnership with a consortium of higher education institutions called Ohio TechNet (OTN), and other state and industry leaders Six Ohio TechNet (OTN) colleges serve as Leader Colleges for the proposed initiative These colleges serve regions with a heavy defense supply chain, have existing partnerships with leading defense industry contractors, and will model innovative strategies to ensure that talent is available to produce military systems and components Regional Leader Colleges include: Lorain County CC, Stark State College, and Cuyahoga CC (Tri-C); Sinclair CC; Columbus State CC; and Cincinnati State

Impact on DoD Capabilities:

The requested investment will result in outcomes that directly align to DoD priorities under the Manufacturing Engineering Education Program

• Short Term (Year 1) - Increased engagement of defense industry employers (existing and new); Innovations in curriculum development and delivery; Alignment to industry recognized

credentials; Expansion of earn and learn opportunities; FlexFactor adoption as a unified talent engagement strategy aligned to needs of defense suppliers

• Middle Term (Year 2) – Increased and accelerated enrollment and completion of postsecondary manufacturing programs; Increased earn and learn opportunities with defense partners; Documentation of innovations in delivery, such as competency-based, micro-credentialing, and industry-education partnerships supporting them

• Long Term (Year 3 and post-grant) - System-wide strategies emerge for dissemination; Continuation of nationally relevant, transferable, and stackable curriculum

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TECHNICAL PROPOSAL FOA #N00014-19-S-F006 Manufacturing Engineering Education Program Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research

Cincinnati State Technical and Community College

Columbus State Community College

Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C)

Sinclair Community College

Stark State College

NextFlex Learning Programs

Administrative/Business and Technical Contact

Terri Burgess Sandu

Director, Talent & Business Innovation

Lorain County Community College

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Table of Contents

Technical Approach – Overview 3

1 Proposed Education/Training Program 4

A Specific Industry Needs/ Collaborations with Target Industry Partners 7

B Program-Specific Measures of Participant Outcomes 8

C Qualified and Experienced Education and Training Personnel 8

D Continuous Improvement Approach 9

2 The Initiatives or Activities to Attract Superior Participants 9

A Innovation and Projected Effectiveness of the Proposed Project 11

B Significance of the Impacts on Participants, Target Industries or Communities 11

4 Sustainability -Detailed Business Strategy 12

5 Realism and Reasonableness in the Proposed Budget 12

Project Director/ Principal Investigator Qualifications 14

Responsibility 15

Reports 15

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Technical Approach – Overview

Ohio plays a critical role in the nation’s defense industry as the top supplier to leading aerospace and defense companies, and plays a vital role in the advancement of new technologies as evidenced

by its engagement with a number of Manufacturing Innovation Institutes supported by the Department of Defense (DoD), such as Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT), America Makes, NextFlex, and the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute The proposed

Ohio Manufacturing Talent Expansion for the Defense Industrial Supply Chain project

focuses on meeting the immediate need for production and technician workers in Ohio manufacturing companies serving the defense industry while concurrently building capacity within both industry and higher education to prepare incumbent and future workers with the advanced skills needed in an increasingly high-tech environment With a specific focus on shop-floor capabilities, this project directly advances the goal of the DoD to better position the current and next-generation manufacturing workforce The collaborative effort aligns with the DoD’s National Defense Strategy to enhance the civilian workforce and devise new public-private partnerships to work with small companies, start-ups, and universities

Manufacturing is the leading private sector employer in Ohio and the state is expected to see continued sector growth over the next ten years The challenge to ensure that there are enough qualified technicians to fill these increasingly high-tech manufacturing occupations is driven by the concurrent impact of an aging workforce and the rapid pace of new technology adoption within the fourth industrial revolution (Industry 4.0) Future growth may be constrained by the significant disparity between the number of available manufacturing jobs and the number of qualified applicants to fill those jobs (OMA, 2019)

Ohio is uniquely positioned to serve as a leader in solving this acute workforce challenge, through

a public-private collaboration called the Ohio Manufacturing Workforce Partnership (OMWP), led

by the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA), in partnership with a consortium of higher education institutions called Ohio TechNet (OTN), and other state and industry leaders OMA has spearheaded a movement among Ohio manufacturers, informed by a statewide workforce roadmap, to implement industry-led sector partnerships, facilitating collaboration among education, economic development, workforce development, and industry leaders to address workforce gaps in regional labor markets Colleges throughout Ohio will partner with these industry partners to enhance curricula with defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation, Arconic, Siemens, LC Technologies, Southwire and others; and research and development organizations such as Wright Patterson Airforce Base, NASA Glenn, Battelle Memorial Institute, and the Ohio Manufacturing Institute at The Ohio State University OMA will assist with statewide dissemination strategies, scaling and sustainability NextFlex, the Flexible Hybrid Electronic Innovation Institute, serves as a strategic partner

Driven by engagement with an anticipated 200+ industry partners, OMWP has established ambitious, yet attainable goals for this project Partners are set to train 1,125 adult workers over three years, with an additional 4,080 high-school students engaged in advanced manufacturing career awareness through participation in FlexFactor, a collaborative technology and entrepreneurship program for youth developed by NextFlex This work will bolster statewide capacity to recruit and educate skilled technicians throughout the advanced manufacturing sector

to maintain the superiority of the United States Department of Defense

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1 Proposed Education/Training Program

Six Ohio TechNet (OTN) partners serve as Leader Colleges for the proposed initiative Leader Colleges serve regions with a heavy defense supply chain, and have existing partnerships with defense industry contractors, as demonstrated in Figure 1 These colleges are: Lorain County CC, Stark State College, and Cuyahoga CC (Tri-C), all in Northeast Ohio; Sinclair CC in Dayton/Southwest Ohio; Columbus State CC in Central Ohio; and Cincinnati State in Southwest Ohio These colleges will model innovative strategies to ensure that talent is available to produce military systems and components to maintain technological superiority for the DoD This project utilizes regional and statewide workforce assets to enhance innovations

related to (1) Guided Pathways for Youth, and (2) Acceleration Strategies for Adults Curriculum

Focus: Leader Colleges and partners will focus on shop-floor capabilities and middle-skill STEM jobs As programs are launched in response to Industry 4.0, additional innovation is expected in

fields such as Industrial Internet of Things, Data Analytics, and Robotics Guided Pathways for Youth and Acceleration Strategies for Adults both rely on industry adoption of nationally portable

credentials and certificates Each Leader College will utilize a combination of the shared strategies

in Table 1

Table 1 Innovative Delivery Methods/ Grant Strategies

Guided Pathways for Youth (HS) Acceleration Strategies for Adults

• FlexFactor

• Enhanced dual enrollment & CTE Pathways

• Hybrid curriculum design

• Expansion of Earn and Learn

• Expanding industry partnerships for

outreach

• Expanded engagement of underrepresented

audiences into manufacturing pathways

• Leveraging Military Transfer Assurance Guides (M-TAGS)

• Leveraging Competency-Based Education (CBE)

• Leveraging Prior Learning Assessment

• Expansion of earn and learn programs

• Building/enhancing industry partnerships

Shared Strategies and Assets

College Credit Plus – high school/college dual enrollment program, includes CTE pathways FlexFactor - advanced manufacturing career pathway initiative partnering K-12 schools with community colleges and industry partners (developed by NextFlex)

Applied Bachelor’s Degrees - offered by some community colleges to create new avenues for partnering with industry to offer advanced technical training

Ohio Manufacturing Foundations Certificate - industry-supported, state-recognized certification University Partnerships - numerous articulation agreements between universities and OTN colleges that provide pathways to bachelor and advanced degrees, including University of Cincinnati, Miami University, University of Akron, Cleveland State University, and The Ohio State University including the Ohio Manufacturing Institute

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Each college, with industry input, has identified priority occupations and educational pathways that will complement statewide shared strategies that focus on enhancing defense manufacturing

As part of a coordinated strategy to leverage innovative high school dual enrollment opportunities

within Ohio, and as part the Guided Pathway for Youth strategy, all Leader Colleges will

implement iterations of FlexFactor, designed by NextFlex, a Manufacturing USA Institute (explained in Section II) Rapid-skill provision, digital badging/industry-recognized credentials, competency-based education, credit for prior learning, and expansion of earn and learn /

apprenticeship are among the innovations Leader Colleges will pursue within the Acceleration Strategies for Adults pillar

Table 2 Ohio TechNet Regional Leader Colleges, Assets, and Defense Industry Partners

Northeast Ohio Region

1 Lorain County Community College

Assets: Earn and learn innovation (microelectronics, automation), FlexFactor, advanced facilities

(microsystems commercialization; digital fabrication; FabLab), MyUniversity (HS dual enrollment to BA), Applied Bachelor’s degree in microelectronics; short-term/ Fast Path certification; CBE; active partnerships with America Makes, ARM, LIFT, NextFlex for talent

engagement, digital badging, other innovations

Pathways: MEMS, digital fabrication, automation, industrial internet of things, data analytics Defense Industry Partners: Siemens, Southwire, RP+M, Elyria Foundry, NASA Glenn

Guided Pathways for Youth: Expansion of FlexFactor and development of sustainability

strategy; Leverage Ohio Manufacturing Foundations via high school coursework

Acceleration Strategies for Adults: Use CNC Machining/Operator Pathway to develop

non-credit to non-credit pathways with non-credit for prior learning; Industry-Faculty collaboration to solve challenge of hands-on learning; Targeted veteran, military and women outreach

2 Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C)

Assets: Early College Early Career partnership with MAGNET (regional MEP); additive

manufacturing curriculum

Pathways: CAD Robotics, Industry 4.0 related pathways

Defense Industry Partners: Arconic, Swagelok, NASA Glenn

Guided Pathways for Youth: FlexFactor

Acceleration Strategies for Adults: Customize existing programs (Precision Machining

Technology, Additive Manufacturing, Industrial Welding, Mechatronics, Industrial Maintenance)

to meet the training needs and fill open positions of defense industry employers

3 Stark State College

Assets: Registered Apprenticeship program, Learn to Earn program, Learn to Earn Next Level Pathways: CNC Machining, Welding, Engineering Technologies programs,

Defense Industry Partners: Sandia National Laboratories, Lockheed Martin, BWX

Technologies, The Timken Company

Guided Pathways for Youth: Implement FlexFactor program, expanding reach throughout

project period and beyond; Leverage Learn to Earn program for K-12 students, which aligns with Ohio’s College Credit Plus program

Acceleration Strategies for Adults: Leverage Learn to Earn Next Level, specifically designed for

adult learners- results in stackable industry-recognized credential; Develop curriculum for a destructive testing program, which will provide students with an in-demand manufacturing skillset appealing to Ohio defense manufacturers; Leverage Prior Learning Assessment options

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Southwest Ohio Region

4 Sinclair Community College

Assets: Registered apprenticeships, CBE, accelerated pathways, National UAS Center, NSF

National Center for Supply Chain Automation, NSF Midwest Professionals for Logistics Engineering Technology Education, Center of Excellence in Cyber Security, New Military-Affiliated Students Center and Office of Work Based Learning

Sinclair’s CBE model is leading the state’s development of a competency-based education network for all colleges and universities across the state

Pathways: Automation & Control Technology, Computer Aided Manufacturing, Electronics

Engineering Technology, Industrial Engineering Technology, Mechanical Engineering Technology, SkillsTrac-Industrial Maintenance, and Supply Chain Management

Defense Industry Partners: Heroux Devtek, Millat Industries, Air Force Institute of Technology

at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

Guided Pathways for Youth: FlexFactor, which will work in tandem with College Credit Plus

and Tech Prep Sinclair is the Tech Prep Regional Center West for the state of Ohio; Youth apprenticeship programs Women in STEM K-12 recruitment initiative

pre-Acceleration Strategies for Adults: Develop new curricula on topics such as welding, robotics,

and 3D printing to be delivered in accelerated and hybrid modalities to support industry 4.0 and the defense industrial supply chain Curriculum will have embedded certifications such as: FANUC Robotics, NIMS ITM, SolidWorks, and Siemens PLC

5 Cincinnati State TCC

Assets: Workforce Development Center, Additive Mfg for Light Weighting Curriculum (LIFT),

Faculty mentoring LIFT

Pathways: Additive Mfg, Industrial Maintenance, Mechatronics, Robotics, CNC Machinist Defense Industry Partners: GE Aviation Additive Power, Rhinstahl, Siemens, Meyer Tool Guided Pathways for Youth: FlexFactor with connection to college / career pathways

Acceleration Strategies for Adults: Identify, develop and deploy short-term certificate,

micro-credential, and apprenticeship programs and create opportunities for adult students Create stackable credentials that link to further certificates and degrees

Central Ohio Region

6 Columbus State Community College

Assets: Modern Manufacturing Work Study, Collaboration of Midwest Professionals for Logistics

Engineering Technology Education (COMPLETE), Manufacturing Experiential Advancement Readiness Network (EARN)

Pathways: Electronic Engineering, Electro-Mechanical Engineering

Defense Industry Partners: Abbott Laboratories, Allied Mineral Products, Autodesk, Inc.,

Battelle Memorial Institute, Guild Associates, Inc

Guided Pathways for Youth: FlexFactor, which will work in tandem with College Credit Plus

opportunities; Leverage existing Manufacturing Night recruitment event, and the work being done

in NSF ATE project Design Thinking: Additive Manufacturing Summer Institute, to increase the recruitment pipeline of high school students

Acceleration Strategies for Adults: Provide additional evening classes, industry certification prep; Avenue to apply PLA to certifications; Focus on the Operator/Maintainer program offered through the IST Lab, which serves as an entry to employment and is a bootcamp with flexible scheduling; upon completion, students enter entry level positions as Maintenance Assistance

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Statewide Dissemination Strategies: Existing infrastructure will be leveraged to guide and support statewide dissemination strategies Ohio has worked extensively in recent years to build the capacity of manufacturer-led regional sector partnership, which are forming across Ohio, partnering with local organizations to implement manufacturing workforce solutions LCCC and Leader Colleges have been significant partners in these efforts, through the Ohio TechNet consortium and related partnership with the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) OMA has committed to making Ohio the recognized national leader in manufacturing talent development Three committees (Leadership, Intermediary, State Agency) led by OMA guide and inform this work Additionally, Ohio's community college system has created the Ohio Workforce League, a new statewide workforce team that offers an additional vehicle for statewide dissemination Specific statewide strategies under this project include 1 Host webinars and leverage in person gatherings to engage employers throughout the state; 2 Develop an automation career pathway and curriculum toolkit customizable for regional variation; 3 Provide professional development / certification resources to faculty/instructors throughout Ohio based on industry priorities; and

4 Summarize impact of project strategies and work with State partners to advance recommendations to policy makers that scale and sustain effective innovations and strategies

A Specific Industry Needs/ Collaborations with Target Industry Partners

Manufacturing is the leading private sector employer in Ohio, accounting for 700,000 jobs totaling over $40 billion in annual wages The manufacturing industry comprises nearly 17% of Ohio’s Gross Domestic Product, with over $50 billion in exported products sent to 213 countries and territories in 2018 (OMA, 2019) Since 2013, Ohio has consistently ranked second in the nation

for new manufacturing sites, gaining an average of 512 new manufacturing sites each year (Site Selection, 2018) Ohio’s robust manufacturing industry has established the state as a hub of aerospace and defense activity Ohio is home to several key economic forces that support the defense industry, including Wright Patterson Air Force Base, the world’s largest military research and development center and Ohio’s largest single site employer (Jobs Ohio, 2018) Ohio is the top supplier for Boeing, which has at least 375 suppliers in the state that support 400,000 jobs (Salomone, 2017) In addition, NASA’s John H Glenn Research Center in Northeast Ohio is a significant economic development engine and job generator for the state of Ohio, generating over

$700 million annually in economic activity and supporting over 7,000 jobs (CSU, 2017)

Ohio’s manufacturing industry is more productive and efficient than ever, and the role of skilled workers is vital Skilled and re-skilled technicians are in high demand in Ohio’s advanced manufacturing industry The proposed project focuses on production level occupational pathways that rely on adaptive, technical, and automation-era skillsets Within these pathways, Industry 4.0 skillsets and critical manufacturing competencies will be targeted in curricula enhancements and work-based training programs The table below lists the occupations and their respective demand, together representing over 500,000 jobs and 48,000 annual openings in Ohio

Table 3: Labor Market Demand, Ohio

Jobs Annual Openings Average Wage

Entry-Level: CNC Machine Operators; Machinists 85,381 8,290 $17.97 Middle-Skilled: CNC Programmers; Tool and Die 9,853 900 $24.50 Higher Skilled: Industrial Prod Manager; Mechanical Engineer 25,934 1,903 $40.73

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Entry-Level: Metal Fab/Fitters; Production Workers 132,078 13,883 $15.66 Middle-Skilled: Supervisors of Production Workers 30,654 2,898 $28.16 Higher Skilled: Industrial Engineers 14,744 1,102 $38.24

Middle-Skilled: Welding Inspectors 31,179 3,014 $18.11 Higher Skilled: Materials Engineer; Welding Supervisors 32,247 3,018 $28.87 Entry-Level: Ind Machining, Mechatronics, Crane Operators 82,459 8,482 $20.50 Middle-Skilled: Mech Drafters; Eng Tech.; Elec Install 16,866 1,515 $26.68 Higher Skilled: Mechatronics/Robotics Eng; Electrical Engineer 17,412 1,231 $41.85

B Program-Specific Measures of Participant Outcomes

With the support of an external program evaluator, a uniform data collection and reporting system will be implemented across all sites and organizations Leader Colleges will measure youth and adult participants (disaggregated by gender, race, and ethnicity), earned certifications, degrees and industry-recognized credentials, work-based learning experiences, and articulations/transfer to bachelor/advanced degrees Employer input on the success or impact of this initiative will be gathered by survey and via regional advisory councils

Table 4 Program Participant Outcomes

Youth

Participants

(FlexFactor)

Adult Participants Industry Recognized

Certifications/

Credentials

Completed Work-Based Learning

Degree or Credential Obtained

Articulated to 4-year

Postsecondary Partner

C Qualified and Experienced Education and Training Personnel

The overall project will be led by Terri Burgess Sandu, Director of Talent and Business Innovation

at Lorain County Community College Ms Sandu’s professional qualifications are listed in detail

in the Qualifications section; the overall management approach and organizational chart can be found in the Management Approach section Leader Colleges are members of Ohio TechNet, a

consortium of education and training institutions promoting efficiency and creativity through coordination of higher education’s efforts to support the workforce needs of manufacturers The activities of participating Leader Colleges will be led by their respective appointed personnel These individuals are listed in Table 5 and their resumes are attached NextFlex serves as a key partner both for implementation of FlexFactor and national perspective on needs/trends in support

of DoD manufacturing priorities

Table 5 Key Team Members

Organization Institutional Project Managers Role

Lorain County

CC Terri Burgess Sandu, Project Director; B Gosky, Ohio TechNet

Manager; A Schweppe, Business

Lead Applicant / Statewide project management

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Engagement; M Matthews, communications, data management

College Don M Ball, Ed.D Dean, Engineering Technologies Leader College

Sinclair CC Anthony Ponder, Dean, Division

of Science, Math, and Engineering Leader College Cincinnati

State TCC Amy Waldbillig, Vice President Workforce Development Leader College

Statewide FlexFactor adoption Advisor on national defense manufacturing talent priorities Statewide

Dissemination,

Scaling and

Sustainability

Strategies

TBD through procurement process Engage employers throughout the state

Disseminate materials that support replication and sustainability Automation career pathway Statewide professional development

D Continuous Improvement Approach

Project partners will utilize a continuous improvement approach that aligns with the DoD’s

Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) Transformation Guidebook Working with an

independent evaluator, senior personnel will establish processes, templates, and timeframes for data collection and convening, as well as methods for reflection and distribution Planning, analysis, and goal alignment will be central to the process.Steps include:1) Ecosystem alignment

- Convene Leader Colleges, high school and industry partners to plan the integration of FlexFactor into existing curricula and pathways; 2) Partner onboarding- Confirm roles, responsibilities, and workflows with each partnering organization; 3) Toolkit for Project Management- Provide toolkit for Program Managers from each Leader College to ensure consistent data collection, timeframes, and curricula delivery; 4) Deliver the Program Strategies Initiate the program, deliver content to students; 5) Measuring the program- Utilize the uniform measurement system to benchmark and assess progress relative to specific goals and objectives, and budgeted activities An external program evaluator will support the deployment of measurement systems and tools across all Leader Colleges; 6) Impact Sharing- Disseminate the results of the program through the statewide infrastructure

2 The Initiatives or Activities to Attract Superior Participants

This proposal integrates initiatives for veterans, women, minorities and other priority or underrepresented audiences, both adults and youth, including: