This research investigated Lean and Industry 4.0 competencies required by the manufacturing industry and taught in Applied Engineering, Technology, Technology Management, Manufacturing, and Related (AETTMMR) program curricula. The aim was to identify the misalignment between the manufacturing industry competency need and the AETTMMR academic…

Globalization has offshored low skills manufacturing, leaving industry in the United States to adjust business models, install ever-advancing technology, and incorporate automation on their production floor. These advances in precision and computer-aided work require a labor force with technical and "soft" skills to operate complex…

This study examined the challenges companies encounter attempting to fill job vacancies with applicants having the requisite skills. Of the 115 journals evaluated as part of the literature review, 64% of the documents identified issues related to workplace skills development deficiencies in industry and academia. Additional findings related to…

This study explored apprenticeships as a means of workforce development and the creation of new talent pools within manufacturing companies. An apprenticeship is an arrangement between an individual, a company, and in some instances an academic provider to learn a trade or a job through the combination of academics and on-the-job training (OJT).…

This dissertation explores the concepts of leading operational indicators and accountability at a corporation, a global contract manufacturer, with the intent to understand what the knowledge, motivational, and organizational influences impacting overall performance. The study featured a mixed-methods, quantitative and qualitative approach…

While millions of workers are injured on the job every year (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019), at least some of these injuries can be attributed to failure to use what was learned during safety training (Safety Partners LTD., 2014). By better understanding workers' experiences, organizations may be better able to create more impactful safety…

This dissertation proposes novel Domain Adaptation (DA) methods in real-world industrial settings, where the availability of labeled data is limited and test data can significantly differ from training data. Particularly, our research addresses key challenges in DA, including the applicability of DA methods in industrial settings, strategies to…

The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to investigate how a partnership between a rural community college in New Jersey and a manufacturer of emerging optics equipment reflected the regional networked innovation system, a type of regional innovation system. This single case study provided a comprehensive overview of the perceptions…

Career and technical education (CTE) is a vital education model in 21st century America. Furthermore, disciplinary literacy has gained traction over the last 20 years as an essential way to develop literacy skills across content areas. However, most disciplinary literacy studies focus on the academic subjects of English, history, science, and…

To maintain international competitiveness U.S. national and state educational agencies recognized, the prerequisites for high schools and secondary educational institutes would require a more rigorous and relevant Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. This study utilized a prospective causal-comparative research design to examine and…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how HR professionals describe the summative and formative evaluation process experience during a higher education-based noncredit training program(s) that provided manufacturing employees with the skills needed today and in the future in the United States. The theoretical foundation…

This generic qualitative study examined how mid-to-late career experts in the U.S. space exploration sector transfer tacit knowledge to novices, with a particular focus on fostering employee engagement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten industry experts from various sectors within space exploration. Thematic analysis identified…

Manufacturing is struggling to find people to fill open positions in the various career opportunities they represent. The skills gap or skills needed by manufacturers has caused challenges in filling those open positions. Adding to this dilemma is that student interest in these careers has reduced, with the focus being on obtaining college degrees…

The manufacturing industry is crucial to the United States economy, constituting more than 10% of the gross domestic product (National Association of Manufacturing [NAM], 2022). However, the sector faces challenges such as a shortage of skilled labor and underrepresentation of women, which threaten its sustainability (NAM, 2023). Various…

The gap between skilled workers needed and skilled workers available increased since the start of the fourth industrial revolution. Employees now need different knowledge, skills, and abilities to enter the workforce and stay current with new technologies than they did in the past. One way this knowledge gap and skilled worker shortage could be…