ATE Impacts 2020-2021

ATE TechnicianEmployabili1y Skills SRI Education, Menlo Park, CA http://employabilityskills.org Handbook Expla ins How to Develop the Top Five Employa bility Skills The ATE Technician Employability Skills project created Working Stronger and Smarter, a practitioner handbook that focuses on the top five employability skills for technicians. The handbook is based on SRI researchers' systematic scans of 273 studies and their in-depth interviews with 40 educators, employers, and recent graduates. The researchers concluded that employability skills take years to develop in adults and that both educators and employers can improve technicians' skills by following two High-priority EmployabilitySkills for Technicians 1. Interpersonal skills 2. Communication skills 3. Orientation to lifelong learning 4. Meeting workplace expectations 5. Situational awareness After identifying the most important employability skills for technicians, researchers tailored the skills to support more diversity in technical fields. key approaches: (1) coordinating how they develop these skills, and (2) using a broad range of learning principles and methods. The researchers focus on seven key learning principles to design instruction and share 140 practical instructional ideas for developing employability skills. PathTech LISTEN University of South Florida, Tampa, FL https://ate.is/pathtech Longitudina l Study Finds Tech Ed Programs Effectively Growing STEM Workfor ce PathTech LISTEN aims to survey and conduct two interviews with former advanced technology students to learn about their transitions into the workforce and/or continuation of their education. so 40 30 20 10 0 Employment Before, During, and After Enrollment 5* 18 17 14 22 During College After College During College After College Had STEM Job Before Enrolling (N=41) Had No STEM Job Before Enrolling (N=51) • Job in Field of Study • Job out of Field of Study Unemployed 'Six of eight unemployed students were pursuing four-year STEM bachelor's degrees Twenty-six of the 92 interviewees had jobs in their fields of study while enrolled; 63 did after college. As of summer 2019, 92 interviews were conducted with alumni of engineering technology, advanced manufacturing, micro and nanotechnology, and energy and environmental technology programs. Participants were recruited from the 3,216 students who completed the PathTech LIFE survey. They include recent high school graduates, bachelor's degree recipients, and non-traditional age, first-time-in-college students. Most planned to complete AS/AAS degrees, certificates, and/or licenses. Overall, findings indicate LISTEN participants successfully transitioned into the workforce. Most participants reported that their college programs provided excellent preparation for their current jobs. Capacity to build relationships Business fundamentals and knowing your business value •