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October 5 marks the official kick off for Manufacturing (MFG) Day with industry tours, open houses, career fairs and other miscellaneous events being planned in Florida and across the country. This year FloridaMakes, FLATE and the network of Regional Manufacturers Associations across the state are taking the lead in organizing statewide industry tours and events that kick starts on MFG Day/Month. Counties and cities across Florida are set to issue proclamations marking October as MFG Month. Thousands of students and educators from schools across Florida are also anxious to participate in industry tours that are geared to showcase products that are “Made in Florida” as well as get an up-close and in-depth look at high-skilled, high-wage careers that the industry offers. Manufacturing Day is expected to be celebrated across Florida, and there are a number of ways to be involved in this nationwide event that focuses on the strength of American Manufacturing. For more information and Flor

In 2016, Polk State College engaged with the Lumina Foundation’s Beta Credential Framework project.   Polk State included the A.S. Engineering Technology degree with its Advanced Manufacturing (mechatronics) specialization.   Competencies were defined for each course in the program and subsequently assigned a level indicator according to the Lumina Credential Framework. Level indicators were defined from knowledge to high-level problem solving, troubleshooting and creative thinking skills.   More details on this aspect of the project for the ASET Advanced Manufacturing specialization will be covered in a separate article and can also b found on the Lumina Foundation website (search for Beta Credential Framework ). The resulting list of ASET competencies were grouped and condensed to 40 survey items that would be put to employers that hire ASET graduates in the form of an online survey. The forty items included 20 items each for (a) knowledge and specialized technical skills and (b) per

The Engineering Technology Forum provides an excellent opportunity for industries and educators across the state to meet each year at different college locations to discuss common interests and issues surrounding the education of tomorrow’s advanced manufacturing workforce. FLATE works with the Forum to strengthen the consortium, share its administrative activities and projects, provide professional development, bring industry and academia together, and engage in statewide curriculum reform. Over the years, it has become a true engineering technology community of practice. The Forum meets twice a year; and since 1996 has convened forty times at over 22 different Florida colleges.   The 2018 Spring Forum on Engineering Technology (ET Forum) was held at South Florida State College (SFSC) in Avon Park, Florida. The Forum was well attended with 50 representatives from 17 state and community colleges, the University of South Florida, the Department of Education, technical education sales r