I would like to share some insights on two major activities: one related to an opportunity for our college to fill a critical need in the area of manufacturing and the other related to our bold step forward in establishing a polytechnic high school in Indianapolis.
Advanced Manufacturing
Over the past few years, the College of Technology, primarily through the Polytechnic Initiative, has amassed significant funding to support an integrated, college-wide, advanced manufacturing initiative. These sources of funding include:
- The IN-MaC initiative in partnership with Engineering that has $2.5 million in funding per year with a recent renewal by the State Legislature for the next biennium.
- Our college is part of a cluster hire program with Engineering and Krannert through which the Office of the Provost funds one-half of salaries and startup costs for new faculty in advanced manufacturing.
- Purdue University will be part of a digital manufacturing institute. Our college and the PLM Center are major components of the Purdue response to the digital manufacturing institute that will receive $70 million in federal funds and $250 million in funds from industry and other government agencies.
- A portion of the recent $3.5 million Lilly Endowment grant is earmarked for advanced manufacturing education.
- We have been offered space in the new Indiana Manufacturing Institute at the Purdue Research Park.
Manufacturing is no longer solely about production – it includes efficient, productive, highly integrated, tightly controlled processes across a spectrum of globally competitive U.S. manufacturers and suppliers. It includes design, product data, production, supply chains, support and sustainment.
Indiana’s economy depends heavily on its manufacturing sector. In 2011, Indiana’s manufacturing output accounted for nearly 25% of its GDP, totaling $74.23 billion. The manufacturing sector accounts for 98% of Indiana’s exports. Nearly 16%, or 446,300, of the Indiana workforce is employed in the manufacturing sector, and manufacturing compensation is nearly 70% higher than other employers in the state. More importantly, Indiana’s manufacturing employment has risen 4.6% since the end of recession, while the national manufacturing employment has decreased by 2%. Both the percentage of workforce and the percentage of State exports are the highest of any state in the country.
However, a glaring issue has emerged for Indiana manufacturers over the last five years – an inability to find the right talent they need for the positions they have open. Purdue Polytechnic is working toward solving this shortage through an integrated college-wide strategy to prepare more graduates.
Polytechnic High School
Last Thursday (June 18), Purdue University President Mitch Daniels announced the university’s plan to open the new STEM-focused charter school in downtown Indianapolis with the possibility of eventually expanding to cities where Purdue has statewide polytechnic centers. The high school curriculum will mirror our efforts in the transformed Purdue Polytechnic Institute on the West Lafayette campus and serve as a foundation for building a pipeline to the University. Purdue Polytechnic Indianapolis High School will provide an educational experience designed to be a bridge for inner-city students and others to succeed in high school and to be admitted directly to Purdue University. It will open in August 2017.
Our vision is that Purdue Polytechnic Indianapolis High School will develop a new generation of skilled employees in high demand areas by seamlessly transitioning students from high school and postsecondary education to high wage, high demand careers. This unique model is designed to help students be economically self sufficient by bringing together K-12, higher education, and employers to educate students. Purdue Polytechnic Indianapolis High School will be branded as a prestigious school that is reflective of the Indianapolis community both in terms of its demographic makeup and alignment to the local economy.
U.S. News STEM Solutions conference. Finally, I will be serving on a panel about competency-based education and speaking at the 2015 U.S. News STEM Solutions National Leadership Conference beginning June 29 in San Diego, CA. We will also have faculty and staff in attendance to promote nationally the transformation of the College of Technology to the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.
There is growing interest around the nation regarding our transformation. Over the next few months, many concrete examples of your recent work will demonstrate how our transformation is becoming real.
