Education &
Workforce Development
OVERVIEW
The ROC / FLX OPI+L ecosystem has a long history of collaboration among industry, education, nonprofits, and government partners. Building on these relationships, the STELLAR Engine, through Monroe Community College, Finger Lakes Community College, the University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, FocusPath, AmeriCOM, and the Rochester Museum and Science Center, aims to evolve this network into a cohesive and highly collaborative Workforce Training Community—a coordinated system that offers job-seekers clear access to education and training, support, and career pathway points of entry. Central to this model is the establishment of the OPI+L Workforce Corps made up of OPI+L Career Navigators who will connect as peers and guide each group of career-seeker to resources they need; Stakeholder Liaisons representing the groups of the ecosystem who will design the interactive processes needed to enhance the ways that the entire ROC / FLX community collaborates; and a lead Concierge for each of the three regions that make up the 11-county ROC / FLX region of service.
Workforce Education &
Training Community
Ecosystem Model
DISCOVER
Our Core Projects
1
Build Collaborative Processes
STELLAR will build collaborative workforce development processes that engage all stakeholder groups across the ROC/FLX region. This will require conducting a gap analysis of existing educational and career development programs and a Partnership Mapping Study across the advanced manufacturing workforce ecosystem, setting benchmarks, and establishing measures to track progress. Using findings from the studies, the collaborative operational processes of the workforce ecosystem will be set and the OPIL Workforce Corps will be deployed.
2
Unify & Expand Educational Offerings
Based on existing optics, photonics, and laser training and degree-program models, STELLAR will prepare a curriculum development plan for laser manufacturing career pathways across all grade levels and degree programs.
3
Develop & Deploy Innovative & Immersive Curricula
STELLAR will study best practices used in other advanced manufacturing sectors and build off NSF/ATE-sponsored initiatives that use immersive technologies for instructional delivery. In parallel, deploy the AR Alliance of the UR/Meta Center for Extended Reality to develop laser-based systems for AR displays.
4
Recruit & Retain Students
STELLAR will work with practitioners who provide career counseling services and with college admissions and student success staff and develop tools for use with students interested in laser- and optics-manufacturing careers. To raise awareness about OPIL careers, STELLAR will prepare and begin to deploy a regionwide marketing & community outreach plan.
OUR 10-year goals