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ARM Institute Announces Newly Endorsed Training Programs

The ARM Institute Endorsement program recognizes the nation’s most effective training programs and is facilitated through the Institute’s national workforce resource – RoboticsCareer.org. 

March 15, 2023 - The ARM Institute has announced that two more training programs have been evaluated and selected to receive ARM Endorsement: A.W. Beattie Career Center’s Robotics Engineering Technology program and Washington State Community College’s Advanced Manufacturing and Integration Technology program. ARM Endorsement recognizes the nation’s most effective training programs for robotics careers in manufacturing. 

The ARM Institute is the nation’s leading collaborative in robotics and workforce innovation, working at the confluence of industry, government, and academia. Structured as a public-private partnership, the ARM Institute and its nearly 400 member organizations lead the way to a future where people and robots work together to respond to our nation’s greatest challenges and to develop and produce the world’s most desired products.

The ARM Endorsement Program was launched in conjunction with RoboticsCareer.org, the Institute’s national workforce resource. RoboticsCareer.org supports the U.S. workforce through each stage of their professional lives – from students exploring career options to incumbent workers looking to take the next step in their careers. 

The ARM Endorsement Program is a thorough evaluation process that identifies organizations that are the most effective at preparing students for careers in manufacturing working with robotics. With more than 16,700 training programs listed on RoboticsCareer.org, this guidance is critical to helping students, workers, and employers looking to upskill their workforce find the best match for their needs. The ARM Endorsement program was conceptualized and created through the ARM Institute’s 380+ member national consortium, giving equal voice to the need of manufacturers, education providers, and government stakeholders.

The criteria used to evaluate programs align with the ARM Institute’s robotics career pathways and competencies and evaluate both organizations and their programs based upon the following benchmarks:

• Relevance to the Industry
• Effective Curriculum
• Efficiency of the Training
• Impact of the Program
• Program Sustainability
• Transportability

Learn more about each of our newly endorsed programs below and on RoboticsCareer.org:

1. A.W. Beattie Career Center is an extension of nine school districts located in northern Allegheny County. A.W. Beattie students receive hands-on training that prepares them to be college and career ready after high school graduation. Through a partnership with the Advanced Manufacturing Industry, California University of Pennsylvania, and support from Carnegie Mellon University, A.W. Beattie’s Robotics Engineering Technology program moves students through in-depth activities into advanced design and control challenges using curriculum developed through the National Robotics Engineering Center. Students study robotics technology case studies and participate in hands-on lab experiences while developing skills related to Advanced Manufacturing with CNC, FANUC Robotic Arm operation, and 3-D modeling.
2. Washington State Community College (WSCC) is a two-year college in the Mid-Ohio Valley offering more than 40 certificate and associate degree programs. The Advanced Manufacturing & Integration Technology associate degree program at WSCC blends mechanical and electrical engineering with robotics and control systems to form an interdisciplinary program that maximizes transferable skills. Through robotics courses, students will learn automation, coding, machining processes and computer programming used for programmable logic controllers (PLCs) which run manufacturing lines. Courses focus on honing skills that prepare students for a variety of careers in engineering, industry, and more.

“The ARM Institute Team congratulates these organizations on earning ARM Endorsement,” said Mary Ellen Rich, ARM Institute Certification Manager, “Effective training is critical to securing U.S manufacturing resiliency and addressing the manufacturing skills gap.”

In addition to these newly-endorsed programs, the ARM Institute has also endorsed programs at the following organizations: Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy, Clover Park Technical College, Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), Fortress Academy, Horizon Science Academy Columbus High School (HSA), Motlow State Community College,NC3 - National Coalition of Certification Centers,  NCUS Tech, SWPA Bots IQ, Universal Robots, the University of Maryland, the University of Washington, Westmoreland County Community College, Wichita State University Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology (WSU Tech), and Wichita State University, Department of Engineering Technology.

Supporting the Workforce at All Career Stages

RoboticsCareer.org is a robust workforce solution that connects the full ecosystem needed to correct the skills and labor gap. RoboticsCareer.org houses the nation’s only database dedicated to training programs for robotics careers in manufacturing. Through digital profile creation, this resource provides personalized training recommendations that align directly to the education seeker’s desired career pathway. Learn how to use our guided education search here. 

Soon, RoboticsCareer.org will also host jobs and, through digital profile functionality, match career seekers to jobs that match their skills and career goals.

Click here to join our RoboticsCareer.org mailing list to learn about new features and get workforce news sent to your inbox. 

ABOUT THE ARM INSTITUTE

The ARM (Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing) Institute is a Manufacturing USA® Institute sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense under Agreement Number W911NF-17-3-0004. The ARM Institute leverages a unique, robust, and diverse ecosystem of consortium members and partners across industry, academia, and government to make robotics, autonomy, and artificial intelligence more accessible to U.S. manufacturers large and small, train and empower the manufacturing workforce, strengthen our economy and global competitiveness, and elevate national security and resilience.  Based in Pittsburgh, PA since 2017, the ARM Institute is leading the way to a future where people & robots work together to respond to our nation’s greatest challenges and to produce the world’s most desired products. For more information, visit http://www.arminstitute.org and follow the ARM Institute on LinkedIn and Twitter.