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A s we approach the holiday season and the beginning of a new year, it’s time to both look forward to where we want to go and who we want to be, and back to see where we have come. However, right now let's focus on professional development ("PD") and the future. What do we want to learn more about? What do we still want to learn? How can we better help our students? What is Professional Development? One official definition is “the process of improving and increasing capabilities of staff through access to education and training opportunities in the workplace, through outside organization, or through watching others perform the job. Certainly, "PD" is one way that educators keep current with their academic and technical disciplines as well as teaching and learning strategies.  However, "PD" helps build and maintain morale and is thought to help attract higher quality people to an organization”. Additionally, “PD” can provid e educators with innovative t

Continuing our initial discussion of our “Work to do for Future Technician Preparation theme ", the National Science Foundation is extremely interested in what technician education should "look-like" because new and near future advancements in science, engineering, and technology are changing American industry.    (A reader might wonder why Mathematics was not listed.   Math is the heart and soul of STEM.   It is imbedded in every significant achievement in science, engineering, and technology.    However, our position is not that mathematics has new and future advances rather mathematics' impact increases as our understanding of its complicated nuances becomes secured.   This is especially the situation related to the subtle use of Boolean and matrix algebra operators.)   The National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) program involves partnerships between academic institutions and industry to promote and execute improvement in the educat

In the month of October we had two new Project Specialists join our team! Please welcome our new FLATERS! We are very thrilled to have them back and so are they! Elizabeth Duran will be working on data analysis from event surveys and also with our  FLATE graphics. Natasha Crissien will be focused in coordinating the ATE Community Joint Displays in addition to all FLATE events and our FLATE Focus monthly newsletter. They both will be the face for FLATE in some of our conferences and exhibits we attend. Elizabeth and Natasha have both worked for FLATE in the past and after a brief hiatus they have returned with newly acquired skills and are ready to put into good use.  Here’s what they have to say!   Hello, my name is Elizabeth Duran.   I work on analyzing data for FLATE using different resources that are available to me, and also work on their graphics. I have been working with FLATE for approximately three years now. I began my FLATE journey back in 2015 as a Student Assistant affiliat

The world of packaging has come a long way. From the unsavory wraps to bulky boxes of yesteryears, the packaging industry has evolved into a high-tech billion dollar industry with many manufacturers vying to get ahead of the game while incorporating lean, green, clean and efficient technologies into their everyday production processes. A testament of this booming industry was on full display at the 2018 PACK EXPO International. The Expo was held in October in Chicago and was “THE” hotspot for all engaged in the latest and greatest packaging solutions. In a   press release issued by PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, who was also the host/producer of PACK EXPO, dubbed the event as “the largest EXPO” hosted for and by the packaging industry. The EXPO brought together 2,500 exhibitors and 50,000 attendees and gave exhibitors and attendees a chance to witness the latest innovations and learn about production challenges in the packaging industry. Jadaly Castro

Contributed by: Marcia A. Mardis, Florida State University and David Bouvin, Chipola College On September 21, 2018, the Florida State University Information Institute, Chipola College, and FLATE leadership were joined by Gulf Coast State College, Northwest Florida State College, Pensacola State College, and Tallahassee Community College for an advanced manufacturing (AM) Regional Academy to examine evidence-based best practices for linking curriculum to employer expectations. The Regional Academy was sponsored by the team’s National Science Foundation (NSF) Advanced Technological Education (ATE) research project, Assessing Educational Pathways for Manufacturing in Rural Communities: An Investigation of New and Existing Programs in Northwest Florida (NSF 1700581). This three-year research project, led by PI Marcia A. Mardis (FSU), Co-PI Charles R. McClure (FSU), Co-PI Faye R. Jones (FSU) and Co-PI David Bouvin (Chipola) includes three annual Regional Academies to share findings, recomme

FloridaMakes is now accepting nominations for the Florida Sterling Manufacturing Business Excellence Awards Nominations. Nominations are easy and can be done online at this link on the events menu of the www.FloridaMakes.com site. All the information needed to nominate, the awards process, the awards banquet and required documentation can also be found on this page.  Nominate outstanding companies in your area today.   In November, Associated Industries of Florida (AIF) and FloridaMakes announced an official strategic partnership agreement that sets the groundwork for mutual cooperation, leveraging each other’s programs and services to create impact and benefit manufacturers, suppliers and innovative enterprises across the state.   Read the full press release . Save the Date – for the MAKE MORE Manufacturing Summit (May 30, 2019) . It is a leadership-focused meeting designed around connecting ecosystem stakeholders with the needs and realities of industry leaders from the manufactur