Core Competencies in Materials Technology

Edmonds Community College located in Lynnwood, WA, was awarded an NSF/ATE grant in 2005 to act as the National Resource Center for Materials Science Education. The Center’s principal goal is to provide a repository of relevant curriculum content for use by the materials science community. The Center will provide content for faculty members, students, and practitioners as they teach, learn, and strive to acquire specific competencies.

To date the Resource Center, “MatEd,” has identified and validated materials-related core competencies on a national level that target both general and materials technicians. These competencies, developed with industry input, are currently being used as a guide to prioritize the acquisition of materials science curriculum for inclusion into our web site.

It is recognized that this core competency data set is somewhat limited based on the industries and personnel involved; however, this report is a living document, meant for continual updating. The intent at MatEd is to enhance this data set through interaction with industry personnel in as broad a set of industries as is possible.

MatEd welcomes your input in terms of:
1. Core competency areas that should be evaluated but are not included in this data set; and
2. Means for developing needed input on proposed competency areas.

As described in the attached report, the data are provided both in terms of general and materials-related competencies for both a “general technician,” a person engaged in technical work but who does not have direct responsibility for materials processing or testing; and for a technician that could be classified as a “materials technician,” whose primary job tasks relate directly with the processing or testing of materials.

It should also be noted that to print the data set, it is advisable to use a color printer to ensure that appropriate color-coded categories are recognized.

Competency Report 2-20-06