Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | September 13, 2021 | Worcester Business Journal 39 A MAJOR ANNIVERSARY... A NEW BUILDING... A MAJOR COMPANY MILESTONE Can we create a CUSTOM magazine for you? Whether it's the celebration of a major anniversary or the opening of a new headquarters, Worcester Business Journal's Custom Publishing Division can help you create a custom magazine for your business. Our division's top flight team of writers and designers can help you tell your story – and make your business look great! Based on our unique publishing model, it's surprisingly affordable. Call WBJ Custom Corporate Project Director Christine Juetten at 508-755-8004 ext. 270. Worcester Business Journal WBJ Custom Publishing Division Guest Column BY BETTY LAUER Why QCC is focusing on robotics T he purpose of education is to use a systematic approach to providing people knowl- edge, skills and abilities, which will increase their human capital and their intellectual capacity to succeed. Education is the fuel for economic growth. However, before education can happen, faculty at educa- tional institutions must develop curric- ulum. Curriculum defines the subjects contained in a course of study and is the foundation of teaching and learning at any higher education institution. Before developing a curriculum, faculty must explore the need for a given set of skills. is oen takes the form of reviewing regional employment blueprints, career centers, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to assess industry needs. If there is a demand for a set of skills by local business and industry, then the faculty can begin an academic program proposal. Here are the Quinsigamond Com- munity College School of Business, Engineering and Technology in Worces- ter, we explored the development of a curriculum for a robotics technician certificate. Research produced some important facts: • Growth projections in the imple- mentation of robotics across all indus- tries are exploding. • According to BLS, employment opportunities for robotics engineers are expected to increase over the next few years by 6.3%, and for robotics techni- cians the expected increase is 3%. • According to BLS, robotics techni- cians make an average salary 66% more than the national average. • According to zippia.com, New England has four of the top 10 states for jobs in the robotics field. • Top industry sectors with a need for robotics skills are: manufacturing, agri- culture, logistics, medical, and military, all of which flourish in Massachusetts. Next, aer identifying an industry need, comes identifying the student learning outcomes of the proposal. Local industry executives and techni- cians joined together with college faculty in a business and industry leadership team event, for the purpose of defining a robotics technician curriculum. e BILT process was developed by Ann Beheler, PhD at Collin College in Texas, with the goal of keeping cur- riculum current with demands from businesses. is process is to identify KSAa – knowledge, skills and abilities – businesses will need for right-skilled job candidates in the future. KSAs are defined and solidified through an in- dustry partner voting process. Once the appropriate requisite skills are identified, faculty will develop a course of study. Another common approach to instill- ing industry participation in curriculum is the use of advisory committees, which consist of industry experts advising or guiding curriculum development through a yearly meeting. By compari- son, the BILT process is more aggressive with business and industry input. A well-built curriculum has clear student learning outcomes at every juncture matching industry employment demands and leads to students entering the workforce to be hired as qualified applicants. A well-built curriculum has assessment methods for each of the outcomes reflecting student learning, and, most importantly, contributes to the workforce ecosystem. e workforce ecosystem is a struc- ture consisting of independent actors working together to achieve goals. ese players include educators, learners, career centers, employers, and other in- dustry associations, each with their own role and goals. When their collective goals align successfully, a more produc- tive workforce is achieved, along with better employment options with upward mobility, employee satisfaction, higher profits, poverty reduction, and more. Although the curriculum develop- ment lifecycle is arduous and contin- uous, it provides educators and local industry the opportunity to collaborate to create truly useful programs to en- hance the student's life and the commu- nity's well-being. If you are interested in participating in this ecosystem, contact your local educational institutions. Betty Lauer is dean for the School of Business, Engineering & Technology at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester. W

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