Virginia Carter
$2,425,104
Michael D Fox
W. Richard Polanin
Lorain County Community College
Ohio
Directorate for STEM Education (EDU)
Advanced Tech Education Prog
Welding and materials joining is an essential technology used across numerous industries. Throughout the US, the largest employers of welders and welding technicians include commercial building construction, infrastructure, agricultural equipment manufacturing, automotive manufacturing, oil and gas, shipbuilding, aerospace, energy, and metal fabrication. According to the Occupational Data Report developed by Lightcast in 2023, there's a projected need for 330,000 new welding professionals by 2028, or 82,500 annually between 2024-2028. A recent survey conducted by Weld-Ed found that enrollment has declined 8.7% in welding programs since the end of the pandemic. Yet the welding industry is rapidly evolving, driven by technological advancements from increased automation to new material usage. There has been a significant increase in the use of robotic welding systems that offer unparalleled precision, efficiency and consistency. The integration of artificial intelligence in these systems to allow for real-time adjustments and decision-making will only enhance their use. With the documented need for welders, the Weld-Ed Hub proposes to continue to support welding programs to ensure that industries will have the skilled technical welders needed.<br/><br/>The Weld-Ed Hub will provide fundamental welding technology, emerging welding technology, industry and education research data, best practice teaching methods to welding instructors and industry professionals. The Weld-Ed Hub project goal is to improve the number and quality of welding and materials joining technicians to meet industry workforce need. To attain this goal a series of objectives and activities will be supported, including: 1) Providing faculty professional development activities to improve the ability of welding instructors and welding programs to prepare welding technicians for the workforce; 2) Gathering and disseminating advanced material welding processes, emerging welding technology, and advanced inspection technology to welding instructors; 3) Recruiting new welding students and supporting the retention of welding students through career awareness, career guidance, and career assistance; and 4) Conducting ongoing research to determine the current and future state of welding and inspection technology and education and training delivery. This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced-technology fields that drive the nation's economy.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.