Foundations of Agricultural Mechatronics

1. The Foundations of Agricultural Mechatronics Certificate of Achievement will introduce fundamental theory and skills used to perform the tasks of a skilled maintenance mechanic who works with mechatronics, or electro-mechanical systems, including automation and robotics equipment in both indoor value-added food processing and outdoor automated farming and harvesting. Students will have the opportunity to earn third-party industry certifications from OSHA, NCCER, and NC3 (Festo, Snap-On, Starrett, Greenlee, Rigid, Trane, Lincoln, 3M, and more). Students will also be prepared to pursue the Agricultural Mechatronics Associates Degree.

1. Given our current staffing, facilities, and resources, I expect approximately forty students annually to complete this certificate once we are in a consistent enrollment pattern. It is hard to estimate the early projections.

2. At present, there are 12 students eligible for the 112A course which will be offered for the first time in Fall 2023. We will also be offering the 111 series this summer. I estimate 20 students to enrolleroll in the 112 series in Fall 2023. Assuming these students have also complete the necessary electives, we could have 20 certificate completers at the end of Fall 2023. 

3. The 112 series will be offered again in Spring 2024. If we continue our enrollment trends, I estimate another 15 students to complete the certificate at the end of Spring 2024.

1. The Foundations of Agricultural Mechatronics Certificate will provide students with foundational knowledge and skills necessary to work with automated and robotic manufacturing systems used in agriculture. These include industrial safety, principles of smart manufacturing, precision measuring instruments, circuit drawing and reading, Direct Current, Alternating Current, Fluid Power, PLC programming, torque and fasteners, electrical wiring, plumbing, electronic sensors, data visualization, robotics, and mechanical drive systems. Students will also develop their ability to work with personal computers, file management, written digital communication and record keeping, teamwork, critical thinking, and verbal communication. This certificate will prepare students for a career as a skilled maintenance mechanic in agriculture and manufacturing. Students will also be prepared to pursue the Agricultural Mechatronics Technician Certificate and the Agricultural Mechatronics Associates Degree.

1. Narrative

1. Program Goals and Objectives: must address a valid transfer, workforce preparation, basic skills, civic education, or lifelong learning purpose.

1. The Foundations of Agricultural Mechatronics Certificate will provide students with foundational knowledge and skills necessary to work with automated and robotic manufacturing systems used in agriculture. These include industrial safety, principles of smart manufacturing, precision measuring instruments, circuit drawing and reading, Direct Current, Alternating Current, Fluid Power, PLC programming, torque and fasteners, electrical wiring, plumbing, electronic sensors, data visualization, robotics, and mechanical drive systems. Students will also develop their ability to work with personal computers, file management, written digital communication and record keeping, teamwork, critical thinking, and verbal communication. This certificate will prepare students for a career as a skilled maintenance mechanic in agriculture and manufacturing. Students will also be prepared to pursue the Agricultural Mechatronics Technician Certificate and the Agricultural Mechatronics Associates Degree.

2. Catalog Description: includes a brief description of the program written with the student as audience, program learning outcomes, prerequisite skills or enrollment limitations (if appropriate), and information relevant to program goal.

1. The Foundations of Agricultural Mechatronics Certificate of Achievement will introduce fundamental theory and skills used to perform the tasks of a skilled maintenance mechanic who works with mechatronics, or electro-mechanical systems, including automation and robotics equipment in both indoor value-added food processing and outdoor automated farming and harvesting. Students will have the opportunity to earn third-party industry certifications from OSHA, NCCER, and NC3 (Festo, Snap-On, Starrett, Greenlee, Rigid, Trane, Lincoln, 3M, and more). Students will also be prepared to pursue the Agricultural Mechatronics Associates Degree.

2. To introduce fundamental skills and principles of smart manufacturing, mechatronics, and industry 4.0 used in agriculture.

1. Students will

1. practice safe working practices while working with agricultural mechatronic systems.

2. program, build, and test simple mechatronic systems, including Programmable Logic Controllers, electronic sensors, handling sequences, conveyors, sorting, pressing, and magazine operations, given agriculturally based scenarios.

3. construct a variety of mechanical and electro-mechanical fluid power circuits (hydraulic and pneumatic) used in agriculture.

4. design and install electrical systems and plumbing systems used in agriculture.

3. Program Metamajor: identify the metamajor that the program will belong to. 

1. Agriculture, Business, and Industries

4. Program Requirements: includes course requirements. Identify the required major courses, any restricted electives and, if appropriate, sequencing guidance or groups of courses that reflect alternate program goals.

Recommended Electives for student concentration:

Focus Area	Electives (in order)	Career Focus
Fabrication/ Welding	MFGT 130, WLD 150	Installation and repair of industrial equipment (indoor and outdoor)
Facility Management	ABT 57 Or BUS 50	Focus on agricultural commodities and managing facilities.
Engineering	CMA 74, MFGT 130	Solid Works design.
Drafting	CMA 81, MFGT 130	AutoCAD design. CNC.

1. Core (10 units):

1. MFGT 169- 2 units

2. MFGT 111A- 2 units

3. MFGT 111B- 2 units

4. MFGT 112A- 2 units

5. MFGT 112B- 2 units

2. Elective Group 1: Select two (6 units)

1. ABT 57- 3 units
   Or
   BUS 50- 3 units

2. MFGT 130- 3 units

3. WLD 150- 3 units

4. CMA 74- 3 units

5. CMA 81- 3 units

Total 16 units

1. Program Map: identify the sequencing of courses in the program in a program map for to be published in the program mapper. Map should be completed for at least full time students. Can also include a map for part time students. 

1. Course Sequence

2. Semester 1

1. MFGT 169 and MFGT 111A

2. MFGT 111B

3. Electives as desired

3. Semester 2

1. MFGT 112A

2. MFGT 112B

3. Electives as desired

2. Master Planning: Explain how the program fits the mission, curriculum, and master planning of the college and higher education in California.

1. This much needed addition to the Manufacturing Technology program will prepare students for high-demand careers within our district, sub-region, region, and state. Our college steering committee and CTE advisory committees have been requesting this curriculum from us for many years. This is supported by the Labor Market Analysis prepared by the San Francisco Bay Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research.

For the college to provide relevant and rigorous curriculum and training for the community, we must work with our advisors and industry partners to ensure we are training students to meet their employment needs. This new certificate will provide our younger population of students with a foundation for their career path, as well as our older population of students the necessary upskill opportunities.

Starting with this sixteen-unit Foundational Certificate will reduce completion barriers for students by only requiring a part-time student to complete two semesters. Students will still be able to maintain their employment hours or pursue other coursework to support their educational goals.

1. Enrollment and Completer Projections: projection of number of students enrolled in the program each year and the number expected to earn the degree or certificate annually.

1. Given our current staffing, facilities, and resources, I expect approximately forty students annually to complete this certificate once we are in a consistent enrollment pattern. It is hard to estimate the early projections.

2. At present, there are 12 students eligible for the 112A course which will be offered for the first time in Fall 2023. We will also be offering the 111 series this summer. I estimate 20 students to enrolleroll in the 112 series in Fall 2023. Assuming these students have also complete the necessary electives, we could have 20 certificate completers at the end of Fall 2023. 

3. The 112 series will be offered again in Spring 2024. If we continue our enrollment trends, I estimate another 15 students to complete the certificate at the end of Spring 2024.

2. Place of Program in Curriculum/Similar Programs:  Explain how the program fits in college’s existing program inventory. Are there similar programs? Does this program stack with other programs to create a career ladder. If so, show how this works. 

1. This will supplement the current Manufacturing Technology program with the intent of the planned Associated Degree replacing the current degree.

2. Eventually, all students in the updated program will achieve this certificate in the first two semesters. Students will then complete the Associates Degree after their fourth semester, with the option to concentrate on the indoor processing and manufacturing of food, or the outdoor farming and harvesting.

1. Semester 1 and 2

1. Foundations of Ag Mechatronics Cert

2. Then decide to concentrate on indoor or outdoor

1. Ag Mechatronics Associate Degree

1. Indoor concentration

2. Outdoor concentration

3. Similar Programs at Other Colleges in Service Area: justification of need for program in the region, especially if there nearby colleges with similar programs.

1. The following programs in the region are similar as they focus on smart manufacturing, but none have a focus on agriculture.

1. Chabot College- Electronic Technician

2. Diablo Valley College- Electrical and Electronics Technology

3. Evergreen Valley College- Manufacturing Technician

4. Los Medanos College- Electronics

5. College of Marin- Electronics

6. Mission College- Mechatronics

7. Ohlone College- Manufacturing Technician

8. Santa Rosa Junior College- Mechatronics

9. Solano Community College- Mechatronics

4. Transfer preparation information, if transfer preparation is a component of the program: Counseling Articulation Officer can be helpful with identifying courses that transfer and are listed in ASSIST, courses that are generally considered lower division transfer preparation at the UC or CSU, etc. 

1. There are no new courses that will directly transfer to our university  partners for their Ag Systems Management Degree: University of Arizona- Yuma, Cal Poly-SLO, Fresno State. But we are in frequent communication with them to find ways to transfer associates degree completers to them once we have it established.

2. However, many of the topics covered in the new courses are covered at these universities, but the new courses take more of an integrated approach (presenting many topics together in one course) as opposed to the siloed approach (standalone courses) by the universities.

5. Check the last approval date of all courses in program: courses must have an approval date within the last 5 years when the packet is sent to CCCCO. Even if the dates are exactly 5 years ago when you start the proposal, please revise courses close to or past the “expiration date.” It can take a semester or two to get approved and we don’t want your courses to “expire” while you are in the approval process. 

1. All core courses have recent approval dates.

2. Not all elective courses have been updated within 5 years. 

1. MFGT-130 and WLD-150: 10/2017

2. CMA-75: 4/2017

3. CMA-81: 12/2016

2. Labor Market Information & Analysis

1. Regional Program Recommendation: Request for Labor Market Report:

• Based on all available data, there appears to be an “undersupply” of Agricultural Manufacturing workers compared to the demand for this cluster of occupations in the Bay region and in the SC-Monterey sub-region (Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz counties). There is a projected annual gap of about 797 students in the Bay region and 93 students in the SC-Monterey Sub-Region.

1. Making use of Labor Market Information:

• The information provided in the Labor Market Analysis (LMA) is for the following job titles in Agricultural Manufacturing: 

• Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians

• Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment

• Industrial Machinery Mechanics

• The projected annual gap of 93 students in the SC-Monterey Sub-Region is a result of there being no training programs in this field. 

• The only other college with agriculture in the region is Santa Rosa Junior College.

• Agriculture in Monterey County generated $4.1 Billion in revenue in 2021 according to the Monterey County Ag Commissioner. Agriculture is the top employer in our district.

• The median hourly wage of the aforementioned job titles in our sub-region is $51, $69, $60, respectively.

• There were 772 total jobs in our sub-region in 2020, and a projected 843 jobs in 2025 showing 9% growth.

• There were a total 115 job postings from April 2021 - March 2022 in our sub-region.

• 76% of related job postings with education requirements in the Bay Region require “some vocational training” (like this certificate).

• 14% require an associate’s degree.

3. Advisory Committee Recommendations (minutes)

Advisory Committee Minutes must show when the Advisory Committee voted to approve the degree and certificate.

Mechatronics Technician DACUM

MFGT Advisory Meeting Minutes

4. Bay Area Community College Consortium

• Program Recommendation Process:

Individuals tasked with developing a new CTE certificate or degree (program) for their college will need to secure regional consortium recommendation before submitting their program approval documents to the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office for formal approval (chaptering). The college CTE Dean and curriculum committee chair (or designee) are good sources of information about the regional recommendation process and about a college’s local curriculum approval process.

Recommended Electives for student concentration:

Focus Area	Electives (in order)	Career Focus
Fabrication/ Welding	MFGT 130, WLD 150	Installation and repair of industrial equipment (indoor and outdoor)
Facility Management	ABT 57 Or BUS 50	Focus on agricultural commodities and managing facilities.
Engineering	CMA 74, MFGT 130	Solid Works design.
Drafting	CMA 81, MFGT 130	AutoCAD design. CNC.

1. Core (10 units):

1. MFGT 169- 2 units

2. MFGT 111A- 2 units

3. MFGT 111B- 2 units

4. MFGT 112A- 2 units

5. MFGT 112B- 2 units

2. Elective Group 1: Select two (6 units)

1. ABT 57- 3 units
   Or
   BUS 50- 3 units

2. MFGT 130- 3 units

3. WLD 150- 3 units

4. CMA 74- 3 units

5. CMA 81- 3 units

Total 16 units

1. Program Map: identify the sequencing of courses in the program in a program map for to be published in the program mapper. Map should be completed for at least full time students. Can also include a map for part time students. 

1. Course Sequence

2. Semester 1

1. MFGT 169 and MFGT 111A

2. MFGT 111B

3. Electives as desired

3. Semester 2

1. MFGT 112A

2. MFGT 112B

3. Electives as desired

None

Annabelle Rodriguez Dean Career Education & Workforce Development Cabrillo College No objections