Robotics Engineering Technology program earns ARM Institute endorsement

A.W. Beattie Career Center was recently recognized as the first Career and Technical School and secondary school endorsed by the Advanced Robotics and Manufacturing Institute (ARM) in Pennsylvania.  

As the ARM Endorsement program primarily recognizes post-secondary schools across the United States, the Career Center is only the second CTC endorsed by the ARM Institute in the country.  

The ARM Institute is a Manufacturing Innovation Institute funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense. The ARM Institute was created in January 2017 through Carnegie Mellon University winning the bid to create a robotics-focused Manufacturing USA Institute and now operates as a separate non-profit. 

"The ARM endorsement further validates the quality of education and hands-on training students receive in the RET program," A.W. Beattie Principal Dr. Jason Watkins said. 

The ARM Endorsement program recognizes the nation’s most effective training programs for robotics careers in manufacturing.   

At the Career Center, students in the Robotics Engineering Technology (RET) program receive hands-on training that prepares them to be college and career ready after high school graduation. Students selecting the RET program are typically preparing for a future in robotics, electronics, mechatronics, additive and subtractive advanced manufacturing , or engineering. 

All students in the RET program study the core curriculum of electronics and robotics, including pneumatics. Students also are introduced to programmable logic controllers, 3D modeling and design, coding on platforms such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and LocoRobo, and Fanuc robotic arm operation. The depth of knowledge and time spent in each area is unique to each student. Individual and group projects related to course content are strongly encouraged, either chosen by the students or assigned by the instructor. 

RET students may earn college credits for use in post-secondary education through articulation agreements at regional universities upon successful completion of the RET curriculum. Industry-related certifications are also available for students. Specifically, students can achieve a SMART/CMU Robotics Technician certification by completing five individual micro-certification modules. 

"The RET program at Beattie has strong partnerships with business, industry and post-secondary schools who support the program to best prepare students for continued education and 21st century careers," Dr. Watkins said. 

The ARM Endorsement Program has a thorough evaluation process that identifies organizations that are the most effective at preparing students for careers in manufacturing working with robotics. The criteria used to evaluate programs align with the ARM Institute’s robotics career pathways and competencies and evaluate both organizations and their programs based upon the following benchmarks:  

• Relevance to the Industry  
• Effective Curriculum  
• Efficiency of the Training  
• Impact of the Program  
• Program Sustainability  
• Transportability  

Students and families interested in learning about the Career Center’s Robotics Engineering Technology program may visit www.beattietech.com. You may learn more about a career in robotics at www.roboticscareer.org and the ARM Institute at www.arminstitute.org.