(The current Four Pillars diagram is available in PDF)
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Manufacturing education has made many advances in the last three decades. Program content is more relevant, professional preparation has become stronger, and the number of graduates is higher than in the 1970s. Manufacturers, faculty, and students would all like to see this trend continue. Of course this is progress with new goals, and continuous improvement. However, there are challenges that are threatening the gains made in the last 30 years. At this point we are seeing to following signs  i) more dedicated manufacturing programs are lost, ii) undergraduate manufacturing education leadership is lost, iii) undergraduate and graduate manufacturing in other disciplines continues to fracture and wane, and iv) graduates no longer identify manufacturing as their primary discipline. If this continues the outcome will be that manufacturers will need to assume post-graduate manufacturing education for American educated engineers. Of course the alternative is to move manufacturing facilities to countries where relevant education programs are plentiful. To address these issues the report includes numerous action oriented recommendations and strategies designed to ensure a bright future for education in support of manufacturing. The six recommendation areas include;
The Curricula 2015 report has been developed by the Members of the Manufacturing Education and Research community within the Society of Manufacturing Engineers with forums, a summit, and conferences since 2008. Hundreds of professionals from academia, industry, and service groups have been involved. The approach of the group has been naturally inclusive and participation by others was welcome. In many ways we hope that a number of the recommendations will be taken by groups that adopt them, change them, and move forward with them to improve manufacturing education. The outcome of the report will impact many groups including the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Center for Education that will be coordinating activities and proposals for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. If you have and questions or interest please do not hesitate to join the LinkedIn discussion group (link to the right), or contact Hugh Jack (drhughjack@gmail.com) .