NSF grant to expand access to a technology degree

The Smart Systems Technologies degree program prepares students for jobs in automation, robotics, and mechatronics.

FLCC has received a 3-year National Science Foundation grant totaling $943,734 to make it possible for more students to complete its Smart Systems Technologies (SST) two-year degree program.

The funds will pay for technology to provide remote access to courses, labs and industry professionals, opening the program to those who cannot attend traditional in-person classes and labs.

“FLCC’s core mission is to make education accessible, a task more challenging in high-tech fields. This grant will equip the college to serve more people who need better technical skills to get ahead in life,” said FLCC President Robert Nye.

SST prepares students for jobs in automation, robotics, and mechatronics, skills many small- and medium-sized technology startups need. Startups typically lack the funds for large staffs and look for individuals with skills in multiple areas or the ability to learn quickly.

To build this adaptable workforce often means retraining adults who have family responsibilities and low-skilled jobs they can’t easily leave. They need more flexible education options.

Part of the funds will support the expansion of HyFlex courses. Short for hybrid and flexible, HyFlex courses allow students to choose how they participate in each class session. Every class is taught in person, available live with videoconferencing, and recorded for later viewing. This model supports students’ learning preferences and provides the flexibility to accommodate work and family responsibilities, illness, and other competing priorities.

The grant will fund lab kits, which are boxes of materials shipped to students so they can do lab exercises at home. It will also pay for online access to some industrial-grade technology to give students experience with tools currently in use in high-tech manufacturing environments. 

FLCC’s project is funded by the NSF’s Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians to solve the mismatch between education levels and workforce needs. More than 4 million working-age adults in New York State do not have a college degree. In addition, many people with bachelor’s degrees also don’t qualify for these high-tech jobs. The Burning Glass Institute and Strada Education Foundation reported in February 2024 that New York’s underemployment rate for four-year college graduates aged 26 to 30 is 45 percent. Underemployment in the report means working in jobs that do not typically require a bachelor’s degree.

The grant will also enable the College to expand the number of businesses that provide a co-op experience, which is a key component of the program.

The co-op, a paid internship, provides more than on-the-job experience, according to Sam Samanata, professor of physics and coordinator of the SST degree. It provides an incentive to finish the program.

“Many students in technology and emerging fields are dropping out of college partly because they run into some personal or academic difficulty. They don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “With our students, when they start a co-op, they develop a good understanding of the opportunities and career paths going forward.”

With its emphasis on technology skills, the SST program is eligible for the SUNY Reconnect program, which covers all academic costs for adults aged 25 to 55 who do not have a college degree. More information about SUNY Reconnect is available at flcc.edu/freecc.