Automotive and Aviation

1. Automotive and Aviation Technician Education Summit SWOT Analysis Summary December 4th, 2009 Florence, SC

2. Strengths • Too expensive for everyone to do it, and hence will help them to come under one roof. • The number of hours required to teach the course reduces if done online. • Established automotive base in the state. • New Boeing facility. • More industry coming in the area, therefore right area to support the center. • Experts to help build a healthy program. • Partnerships: Leverage and diversity of different resources that partners bring to the table. • High quality facilities. • Existing technology that can be built on. Not starting from nothing. • Reach more students that maybe do not have transportation. More convenient for students. • K-12 education system that encourages career oriented goals. • Collaboration among manufactures in the area and they have a need for qualified technicians.

3. Strengths • Availability of assets to use for Continuing Ed curriculum. • Support from instructors and Colleges within the state. Improve on curriculum. Keeping instructors current. • NSF funding support. Collaborative opportunities between education and industry. • Professional development opportunities. • Great way to appeal to young students. i.e. virtual learning. • ATE center would be beneficial for high school student. Students will be exposed to materials at an early age in order to peak interest. • Large industry base that can provide equipment. Donation of aircraft, engines, etc. • Ability to repeatedly use the infrastructure. • Ability to acquire a new technology for a whole region when compared to the single region. • Combined effort from the regional stand point.

4. Strengths • Growth factor that the area has experienced. • Demand to provide better qualified technicians. • Increase interest for in high school/college retention. • Cost of testing and training for industry is high, and center could tap into that demand • Define best practices and quickly get this out to the entire region. • ATE could improve the current curricula. • Access to different types of engines. • Focus on development of aviation technology programs in region to provide next generation training for Boeing and allied industries. • Ability to change lectures as industry demands. • Higher qualified work force from our region.

5. Weaknesses • Can’t teach someone how to think. • Can’t look at the big picture. • Virtual environment could be only applicable to the younger generation. • There is still need for hands on experience, which is expensive. • Industry has to be involved, or else center will not work. • Area doesn’t have an large aviation base. • No regulations for virtual schools: regulating the amount of time spent on training even online, in terms of aviation industry. • Curriculums don’t keep up with technology. Once curriculum is approved, technology is old. • Aviation industry is small as this point, and therefore not many aviation programs. • Funding is a problem… not well known • Industry partners need to have buy in • Finding qualified instructors to meet demand of students. ATE center can be solve that problem.

6. Weaknesses • Curriculum is outdated and equipment is outdated. • Center may have a geographic weakness, people don’t feel part of the center since it might not be nearby. • Material is developed, but colleges do not use it. • Center can standardize training, but colleges might develop their own standard. (takes away flexibility from material). • If the local school has an existing project, they would be reluctant to adopt this new technology. • Uses lot of computing power, the smaller schools may not be able to use it. • This will not be a substitute for the actual hands on training. • Keeping up with ever changing technologies and upgrades. • Distant learning for schools in rural areas who don’t have the 3D training facility.

7. Opportunities • Target the students from high school/middle schools. • Thinking from the local business perspectives • Develop a mentoring process. • Getting the students to understand the technology by bringing them to advanced technical centers. • With using better technology to educate the student will help them develop more interest in the curriculum. • Established automotive base in the state. • Train perspective employees to meet the needs of industry. • Opportunity to provide better qualified technicians and keep them current with new technology. • Continuing education role for the center. • Opportunity to use technology for sales aspect. • Training possibilities for training and sales side.

8. Opportunities • Opportunity to start at automotive and aviation and expand to other industries • Opportunity to advance computer literacy in the community. • Student envisioning themselves as “Life long learners” • Understanding that is a truly industry-college partnership. • Opportunity to build a national recognized apprenticeships. • Opportunity to learn from FAA regulations and apply to automotive industry. • Center could provide core materials in a virtual reality environment. • Synergy with all colleges to create next generation of curriculum. • Creating a library of various courses. • Utilizing the successful programs faster in the region. • Can be a networking tool where by we can train the industry work force. • Resource for locals to write grants.(how to improve NSF funding source). • Introduction in to different applications. • Can be a single point resource with high tech 3D technologies. • Can train a large volume of students. • Shared learning opportunities.

9. Opportunities • Large amounts of funding from NSF, stimulus programs, etc. • Continuing Ed programs for new technology • Use distance learning for commuter students that are working full time. • High unemployment rate. Retraining (Education) can make unemployed people be able to obtain a job in aviation and automotive. Don’t forget the incumbent worker. • Catch the young student for interest in STEM. • Make 2 yr technical college a center for highly trained technicians at a local level • Satellite campuses are assets for local companies. • Financial aid availability. • Center could be a focal point for an entire system in the state where every technical college and high schools are the satellites. • Leading center for creating and distributing material. Open up interest for automotive and aviation field.

10. Threats • With lack of knowledge in STEM, the idea wont make much sense • Not everything can be out down on paper, and hence a comparison would be difficult especially portraying the technology • Virtual environment could be only applicable to the younger generation. • Fear of learning new technology • Not all students envision themselves as “life long learners” • Loss of funding • Center has to be self sustainable. Finding sources or revenue. • Industry/students fear of something new, or just a passing trend. • Undefined/unclear expectations of the center and the role of each participant. • Unclear strategy of the center. • Economic turmoil • Staying up with the pace of technology advancement. • Interstate limitation and guidelines about sharing curriculum.

11. Threats • College might not be an option when there is not enough money being brought in the individual household • Taxpayer support. • Center does not get funded. • Lack of interest from industry and colleges. • Short term funding. • Sustainability. • Economic down turn which can slow down an industry expansion. • Technicians need to have conceptual training before getting trained with these new technologies. • Outsourcing.