Collaboration Supports Success in Technology Education

February 11, 2013

Wisconsin is among the nation’s top five manufacturing-intensive states. The quality and productivity of Wisconsin’s manufacturing, technical and engineering workforce is especially important to the state’s economic recovery.  The Manufacturing Engineering Technologist and Technician Education (METTE) project works to improve student success by targeting research to inform the development and assessment of innovations. Housed in WCER, METTE represents a collaboration among the UW-Madison School of Education, four of Wisconsin’s technical colleges, the Wisconsin Technical College System, the Wisconsin Departments of Public Instruction and Department of Workforce Development.  Collaborating institutions consider issues including  factors that influence student decisions to enroll in METTE programs; improving student course completion and retention for postsecondary students enrolled in METTE programs, the relationship between math preparation and METTE student success; and improving first- to second-semester retention among METTE students. The METTE project is funded with support from the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program of the National Science Foundation. More information is available here.