Locally Sourced: Developing College-to-Career Pathways for Engineering Technicians at Naval Base Ventura County (20-000000401)
Abstract
ering Technicians at Naval Base Ventura County. The project provides concrete pathways to workforce opportunities for demographicall y diverse United States citizens who are interested in careers as engineering technicians particularly for uniformed and civilian positions in and around Naval Base Ventura County. The project will use Moorpark Colleges newly developed certificate programs in Electronics Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering to start students on a directed, three-semester path that will include opportu nities for paid internships with the three (3) warfare commands housed at Naval Base Ventura County and companies throughout the reg ion. This path will lead qualified students either to work at the base or at base-related employers or to transfer to California Sta te University, Channel Islands to complete a four-year degree. Students in each project cohort will be expected to complete internsh ips in an engineering-related field. Further, during their final semester, students will also complete a practical group project des igned to test technical skills and to develop team skills. The project will also provide students with the 21st century job skills n ecessary for workplace success. The proposed project extends into the community to expand familiarity with STEM careers, including n aval programs and careers. The college intends to work with STEM teachers at the high schools to connect students, including those w hose families do not have a tradition of college attendance, with the college. The college faculty will work with high school facult y to design curriculum to bring high school students to the college for lecture and laboratory work m and broadens their STEM exposure. The proposed projects cohort approach combined with the professionalism and 21st Century workfo rce skills that will be a component of the proposed project will help align the students with the needs of naval research a key el ement in helping the Navy maintain maritime superiority. The cohort approach will enable students to excel by providing students wi th mentoring and course-embedded tutoring support. These cohorts will reinforce the practice of teamwork and collaboration, which ar e key elements that reinforce the Navys priorities of personnel, capabilities, and processes. These cohorts will engender an unders will be enhanced through the programs internships at naval commands and/or with civilian defense contractors. The Locally Sourced project is designed to provide program payback by creating a clear pathway for Moorpark College students to fill jobs as electrical and mechatronic engineertechnicians at the three warfare commands at Naval Base Ventura County and at civilian companies in the re gion, including many defense contractors. The college expects that once students have completed their course work, professionalism t raining and internships, that they will be workplace ready. In addition, the commands or businesses that have engaged the students d uring their internships will have first-hand knowledge of the capabilities of the participants. This will establish work experience for the students, but will also provide hiring managers with insight into the abilities of these potential employees. Naval Base Ve ntura County will benefit from a supply of qualified individuals who have deep ties to the region and will be able to perform compon ent- and system-level maintenance on defense systems, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors, and other electronic subsystems. This will accelerate the regions ability to deliver the engineering support needed to help the Navy maintain technological superiority .
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 20, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112757
Entities
People
- Scarlet Relle
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy