articulation agreement based on industry certification, which was approved by the Florida Department of Education (FL DOE) in March 2007. FLATE, working with the FL DOE Career and Technical Education team, Florida colleges, and Florida industries defined the new A.S. degree program in Engineering Technology (ET) with 10 specialization tracts and 18 technical college certificates. The program offers a variety of technical specializations built upon a common technical core that supports a wide range of manufacturing and high technology industries. The program has been adopted by 14 of Florida’s 28 state and community colleges.
To ensure the success of this unified curriculum plan, FLATE, in partnership with the FL DOE, also developed a new curriculum framework for secondary and PSAV programs that aligns with the MSSC Certified Production Technician (CPT) certification. The Automated Production Technician (APT) framework was approved in January 2009, and is available for implementation by Florida high school programs, career academies, and technical schools. The APT (with embedded MSSC) program provides a particularly potent pathway for secondary technical students as it articulates 15 credit hours towards the ET college course of study for student completers. This pathway gives secondary students a jump start on their college education while preparing them with industry articulated skills set they need for good paying jobs.
In support of secondary programs, FLATE provides free online, industry-connected resources focused on the often overlooked technology and engineering side of STEM. Complete lesson plans, career education resources, learning objects, and more are located in a special wiki site for educators and can be accessed at https://flate.pbworks.com. The wiki is accessed through FLATE’s signature Made in Florida website: www.madeinflorida.org.
For adult learners, the same program provides a pathway for incumbent workers to gain the 15 college credit hours by experience through certification. Veterans in the program have shared that the program is a good match for many of the hands-on skills learned through military service. The ET program allows “stacking” of credentials and experience, leading to enhanced career potential with Florida advanced manufacturers and related high-tech industries throughout the state.
The road does not end here! Engineering Technology A.S. degree holders can transfer seamlessly to a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology (B.S.E.T.), or to a number of Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) Degrees offered in Florida’s universities and colleges. The 2 + 2 agreements apply the 60 credit hours of an A.S. Degree directly to the 4-year bachelor’s degree (additional general education credits or technical prerequisite courses may be required). For more information on the award-winning, state A.S. E.T degree visit www.madeinflorida.org, or email Dr. Marilyn Barger, executive director of FLATE at barger@fl-ate.org.
The State of Florida has the third largest population in country, with an official 2020 estimate of 21.5 million persons and approximately 58% of the population is in the civilian labor force (12,600,000).
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