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On November 9, 2017, FLATE partnered with the Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education at the University of South Florida (USF) to present a workshop focused on the role of innovation in the workplace for all members of the workforce. The workshop program was entitled “ Design Thinking and Decision Making: Creating the Entrepreneurial MINDSET Students Need to Succeed in the Global Economy .” A panel of six of FLATE’s Tampa Bay industry partners shared how and why their companies encouraged creativity and innovation for all employees and what businesses in the 21st century expect from all workers. The panelists started with brief introductions about themselves, their companies and products they make, or services they provide to industry. Following those introductions, the 30 plus K-12 educators from the Tampa Bay region eagerly quizzed the panel members about what their students could expect in the modern workplace, how much and how they used 3D printing, and ...

Every year as October rolls around manufacturers in Florida and across the country come together to celebrate, what is dubbed as, the biggest event to mark the strength and excellence in American manufacturing. Those of you who have been involved and/or been following MFG Day over the years, are aware that MFG Day/Month is BIG in Florida. Florida held the #1 spot for a number of years in hosting and organizing MFG Month industry tours and events. Since the inception of MFG Day in 2013, MFG Day has been a statewide cohesive effort with FLATE initially taking a leading role in formulating a statewide strategy for MFG Day/Month. This effort enabled Regional Manufacturers Associations (RMAs), School Districts, Government and Community Organizations to collectively assume the role of MFG Day coordinators, and built in-roads for them to take on the task of hosting and/or organizing MFG Day industry tours and events. Here in Florida, Manufacturing Day is not just a one day event; it is a mont...

FLATE continues its partnership efforts with FloridaMakes to be the driving point for manufacturing education excellence. As indicated in our October edition of the FLATE Focu s, a three pronged manufacturing situation reality is still the challenge to be dealt with: Baby boomers are leaving the technical workforce taking their valuable experience and skills with them.  Technology is changing pace exponentially and at no other time has technical innovation moved so quickly into the manufacturing sector. High skilled related manufacturing is moving back to the U.S. creating an even bigger demand on the manufacturer workforce needs. Although these issues magnify the skills gap problem Florida manufacturers face, they also mask the inherent nature of this skills gap.  The Engineering Colleges within the Florida University System produce national accredited B.S. Degree Engineering program graduates that are well qualified to support advanced manufacturing facilities in Florida. ...

The Florida Advanced Technological Education center- FLATE together with the Florida Association for Industrial and Technical Education, FAITE *, are working together for the 2018 recognition program. FLATE Distinguished Manufacturing Service Recognition Program, now hosted by FAITE, brings recognition to both secondary and post-secondary educators as well as recognizes key personnel for outstanding contributions to promote technology education and career awareness in support of manufacturing. This award includes nominees working in any manufacturing area such as economic development, industry, education and administration. Award winners are selected from submitted nominations from around the state. FLATE awards are judged by an awards committee made up of industry representative of our FLATE Industry Advisory Committee and FAITE . The awards committee reserves the right to select award recipients that do not meet FACTE’s membership requirements. Awards 2018 FLATE Distinguished M...

The American Association of Community Colleges with the support of the National Science Foundation held the 24th National ATE Principal Investigators Conference at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC. This year the conference brought together approximately 850 participants representing community colleges, business and industry, secondary school systems, and four-year colleges. The theme/main focus of the conference was on the critical issues related to advanced technological education. This year 39 ATE Centers, including FLATE, participated in the show case session where there were approximately 199 booths with NSF sponsored projects. The Showcase sessions provided grantees an opportunity to exhibit their projects, products and share information about their programs, mission and vision. Florida was very well represented with projects from Lake Sumter State College - Enhancing an Energy Technology Associate Degree Program to Meet Employer Needs; North Florida Community College - ...

Well, as you would expect, Rudolph comes to the rescue again!!  You may not have read the lead story in the North Pole, Alaska Gazette last week but a court has dismissed the Grinch's law suit. Yep the dude that wants to steal Christmas has been foiled again!!!! It seems that this time he wanted Santa's sled journey not to happen this year because he alleged that on last year's very first stop in Denver Colorado some Brownie Brittle snacks (destined of a stocking hung by the chimney with care) were not packaged at the North Pole nor even put in Santa's big red bag. Luckily, Santa uses Rudolph's nose as a flashlight when he takes the stocking stuffers out of his bag. Last year, because of FAA requirements, Rudolph also had to wear a body camera. Santa's legal beagles (I don't know why the elves didn't do this) submitted the graph with the Rudolph taken attached photo shown below in Santa's defense. It was also fortunate that there were a couple mem...

Great American Teach-In represents a national tradition that celebrates a heritage of strategic partnerships between industry and academia, and underlines the importance of building in-roads between businesses and education. The overarching mission of this national initiative in bringing industry into the classroom correlates with FLATE’s own mission to facilitate industry-education partnerships that are geared to give students a real-world perspective of educational credentials and technical skills needed to succeed in a global marketplace. In fact, the executive director’s article in this edition of the FLATE Focus alludes to the importance of cultivating an “entrepreneurial mindset,” and serves as an added impetus to FLATE’s sustained involvement in Great American Teach-In efforts spearheaded by local schools/school districts. This year Janice Mukhia, Project/Outreach Manager for FLATE, was part of the Great American Teach-In at Wimauma Academy where she spoke to nearly 300 students...

The Engineering Technology program at Hillsborough Community College (HCC) and FLATE, the Florida- based, National Science Foundation Regional Center of Excellence at HCC in Brandon, have shared a longstanding strategic relationship in devising curriculum and professional development initiatives targeted to enrich the educational and professional experiences of faculty and students enrolled in the A.S degree in Engineering Technology (A.S.E.T). Most recently, the engineering society at HCC-Brandon invited Peter Cirak, Quality Assurance Director at Seal Dynamics, a global aerospace manufacturer in Tampa to speak about his illustrious career and give students a first-hand perspective about what it takes to succeed in a STEM-related career in manufacturing, and educational, technical and real-life skills needed to become an engineer. Cirak embarked on his journey full of promise. As an alumna of HCC, Cirak was among the first group of honors students at HCC, and was the Founder and the fi...

The ETD (Engineering Technology) LISTSERV is a very active group and a great place for engineering technology educators to share resources, post educator positions, and request help! If you are not familiar and want to know more, check this website, where you will also find information on how to join and post. https://www.engtech.org/listserv . Everyone is welcome to use the over 400 free lectures and application exercises that I have developed for electromechanical technology courses. The lectures feature both theory and illustrated example problems for DC circuit analysis, hydraulics, AC circuit analysis, motor control, motor drives, PLCs, and more. Development is ongoing and new material is regularly posted at https://www.youtube.com/user/bigbadtech . (These resources are funded in part under NSF ATE Grant # 1600434).  If you're teaching microcontrollers, you're welcome to use these videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFEEC1B99A64E8437 (Tom Lombardo) OTHER RE...

The NSF ATE Necessary Skills NOW project is hosting a pre-conference workshop on integrating employability skills into technical programs. The workshop will be held during the 2018 FCPN (Florida Career Pathways Network) Symposium on January 10, from 12:30-4:30 p.m. During the workshop, the NSF ATE Necessary Skills Now team will share instructional modules in advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity that integrate key employability topics into technical instruction. They will also provide a template for creating customized, and discuss strategies for developing integrated lessons and partnering with employers to develop authentic scenarios for project-based learning. Don't miss the opportunity to network with colleagues on important topics. Also sign up for the pre-conference session hosted by FLATE where we will be sharing best practices for integrating robotics in STEM disciplines. To register for the FCPN conference/sessions contact chamber@cord.org,  r visit   www.necessar...