Innovative Engineering Technology Program development to improve Diversity and Inclusion through Industry Partnerships in Kentucky

Large-scale manufacturing has been located in the state of Kentucky. Kentucky is currently home to 4,276 manufacturers employing 289,822 workers. Key manufacturing industries serve as a cornerstone of bringing broader industry investment and new jobs across Kentucky. Community and technical colleges and universities in Kentucky have faced challenges recruiting students to their programs in advanced manufacturing, tailoring to the Kentucky industry due to partially the perception of manufacturing by the younger generation. A new computer engineering technology and lean systems engineering programs have been proposed and developed at the University of Kentucky, consolidating technical and recruiting components from 2-year technical colleges and 4-year universities. Two new programs are designed based on innovative pedagogical approaches of Reimagining Engineering Technology Education, a strategic and industry-integrated multi-disciplinary training program to propel these innovative pathways that link these institutions. A new curriculum supporting disadvantaged student groups and more diverse student groups promotes the enrollment of minority group students, which is significantly higher (46 %) than other programs (17 %) in the Pigman College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky. Reference 1. Jonassen, D.H., Learning to solve problems: An instructional design guide. Vol. 6. 2004: John Wiley & Sons. 2. Greene, J.A. and S.B. Yu, Educating critical thinkers: The role of epistemic cognition. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2016. 3(1): p. 45-53. 3. Garg, K. and V. Varma. A study of the effectiveness of case study approach in software engineering education. in 20th Conference on Software Engineering Education & Training (CSEET'07). 2007. IEEE. 4. Daun, M., A. Salmon, B. Tenbergen, T. Weyer, and K. Pohl. Industrial case studies in graduate requirements engineering courses: The impact on student motivation. in 2014 IEEE 27th Conference on Software Engineering Education and Training (CSEE&T). 2014. IEEE.