A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Project Period:

1 May 1993-31 October 1996

Federal Funding Source:

Department of Education

Federal:

$511,680

Non-Federal:

512,740

Total:

$1,024,420

Occupational Area(s):

Photonics Technicians (encompasses the following specialties: Defense/Public Safety/Aerospace, Medicine, Computers, Communications, Manufacturing/Test and Analysis and Environmental/Energy/Transportation)

Status:

Standards were published in March 1995.

Description of standards document:

National Photonics Skill Standard for Technicians includes a collection of validated task statements, which represents the common tasks all photonics technicians should be able to perform. The standards are intended to define the knowledge, capabilities and skills workers in the photonics industry should have. Those skills and knowledge areas include core academic subjects such as applied mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology; as well as electronics, computer science, fiber optics, laser technology, materials processing, vacuum technology, detection and measurement, circuitry, technical writing, and many others. The standards document also provides curriculum guidance to high schools, community colleges and universities that are creating or augmenting photonics programs to meet industrial needs.

Description of companion document:

Photonics School-to-Work Implementation Guide will be designed to help secondary educators and administrators prepare high school students for entry into a postsecondary photonics program. The book will highlight the necessary curriculum, but the main focus would be on building partnerships. Included will be information on initiating, establishing and maintaining partnerships with businesses and vocational institutions that deal with photonics. The guide will also cover the topic of certification. In its closing, the guide will list contacts in business and education that are willing to assist schools in the partnership endeavor.

Postsecondary Photonics Programs will outline the necessary components for a certifiable photonics program. Teacher and student qualifications, curricula, laboratories and articulation are the main topics to be covered. The final segment of the book will acknowledge outstanding photonics technician programs across the country. These will be chosen through submission of miniproposals and from the results of a survey.

To help make photonics programs more instructor friendly, the Photonics Technical References, Curriculum Design and Teachers' Assistance will provide valuable information on teaching resources for educators. The guide will not only be for educators, but partly by educators. Through survey and data collection sheets, current references used by instructors across the country will be listed in the guide. Authors of the references will be encouraged to submit summaries or abstracts of their materials. Laboratory equipment suppliers will be listed, as will possible funding sources for programs, curricula and equipment. The booklet will also discuss faculty training and development.

By expanding on the six occupational areas listed in the photonics standard, Employment in Photonics will be a useful resource for students and educators. It will cover three areas of the job hunt: What and where are the jobs? What are the necessary qualifications? Where can training be obtained? The book will also be a forum for professional societies to tell what they are about and what they offer. Accompanying the guide will be a video on careers in photonics.

Excerpt(s) of a standard:

Lasers--Diode: Analyze, assess, evaluate, examine, clean, maintain, align, mount, install, operate, demonstrate, select, specify, and purchase diode lasers.

Detectors--Semiconductors: Calibrate, clean, maintain, align, mount, install, operate, and demonstrate semiconductor detectors.

Partners:

ITC, AT&T Bell Labs, Golden Aspen, ACS, TRW, Thoughtventions Unlimited, Hughes Danbury Optical Systems, Babcock & Wilcox, OZ Optics Limited, Lightguide Engineering Co, Hughes JVC-Tech. Corp., Melles Griot, Opticomm Corp., Adept Technology, Micro Electric Research Center, OIDA, Omnichrome Inc., Teledyne Brown Engineering, York Helicopter, Accuwave, Unitek Equipment Inc., Medical Optics, Corning, Mound Applied Technologies, Summers & Laboratories, Evergreen Laser Corp.,Chiron Vision, SEA Inc., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Hughes Aerospace and Electronics, Ball Aerospace Systems, Litton Guidance and Control Systems, Laser Institute of America, NDC Systems, Union Carbide Crystal Products, EO Technologies, Wilcox Electric Inc., Allied Science Inc., Litton-Airtron Systems, Vital Ind., Asea Brown Boveri Ltd., Ed Doc Jamback Inc., The Light Brigade, Proformix, Cambridge Technology Inc., Rocketdyne, GTE Labs, UVP Inc., Physical Optics Corp., Polygon Industries, FAA Technical Center, University of Texas at Arlington, Nichols Research Corp., Education and Training Support Agency, Allied Signal, GEOMAP, Jenovation Opto-Electronics, TASC, Laser Science Inc., Wausau Medical Center, CBN, Photonics Systems Inc., America Network, GM Hughes Electronics, Aerojet Electronics Systems Plant, Picometrix Inc., Magnavox Electronic Systems, General Dynamics, Armstrong Lab, MM&R International, Cyberonics, Optronic Labs, Jet Propulsion Lab, Interserv Corp., IOLAB Corp., The Aerospace Corp., Graseby Optronics, Optovac, Escantech, Pearson Technical Services, Polyscan Inc., Pach & Co., Metrics Research, Prince Corp., SAIC, Gentec Corp., Granit Corp., Laser Power Research, Hughes Aircraft Co., Tech Plus, ASL Spectra Diagnostics, RCS Technologies, Aerovision Systems, WYCO, Army Research Lab, Lawrence Berkeley Lab, Westmoreland Community College, Cincinnati Technical College, Hennepin Technical College, Indian Hills Community College, Cornell University, Shoals Community College, Sinclair Community College, Christopher Newport University, San Diego City College, North Lake College, Alabama A&M University, Idaho State University, University of Arizona, Queensborough Community College of New York, Hudson Valley Community College, University of Central Florida, TSTC Harlingen, Moorpark College, Pima College--East Campus, Haywood Technical College, Edison Community College, University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Delaware, Florida A&M University, Northwest Community College, Bucholz High School, Oregon Institute of Technology, Camden County College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Pasadena City College, Central Carolina Technical College, Madisonville Community College, Southwestern College, Southeast Community College, Springfield Technical Community College, Maxine Waters EPC, University of New Mexico, C&H Engineering, Texas State Technical Institute, Massachusetts Bay Community College, Ventura College, SUNY Institute of Technology, University of Houston-Clearlake, University of Connecticut, Northcentral Technical College, Northern New Mexico Community College, Indiana Vocational Technical College, California State University-Long Beach, Vincennes University, SDLI, ITT Technical, Lyman High School.

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