Preparing the Next Generation Advanced Manufacturing Workforce Using Collaborative Robots and Experiential Learning (Work in Progress)

Abstract

The widening skills gap and shrinking workforce in advanced manufacturing is a critical national problem. One solution is to open the minds of schoolchildren to the joy of robotics in manufacturing to stir their enthusiasm, with a larger goal of generating future career interest. This paper describes the application and assessment of a 7-week long after-school experiential learning program using collaborative robots that introduced 16 middle school students from underrepresented and underserved groups to robotics and advanced manufacturing. Through pre- and post-surveys, students reported feeling better informed about collaborative robots, how they are used in manufacturing, how to program them, as well as how to operate industry standard machine tools. This work in progress study may serve as a valuable guide for K-12 STEM educators and policy makers interested in developing programs which inspire and equip pre-college students to pursue engineering careers. Future work will enlarge the sample size of participants through additional offerings and include quantitative evaluations of instructional effectiveness in addition to the student surveys.