Kansas State University
Kansas State University is transforming Kansas' manufacturing workforce pipeline by expanding access to high-quality training, strengthening STEM teaching and providing personalized advising in rural school districts.
Through a $1 million grant from the Patterson Family Foundation, the Kansas State College Advising Corps, or KSCAC, the Rural Education Center in the College of Education and the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering will collaborate on the project, Fabricating Futures: A Comprehensive Approach for Building Rural Kansas' Skilled Trades Workforce Through Coaching, Technical Training, and Advising.
The project establishes a supported pipeline for students in rural communities to transition from high school into high-skill, advanced manufacturing and engineering careers. Over two years, the project will directly impact more than 1,500 students and 14 teachers.
STEM teaching and professional learning
The project will supply fully equipped FabLabs to seven rural high schools, which will include robotics, laser and advanced manufacturing technologies. Engineering faculty members will provide technical expertise, while education and computer science faculty members specializing in STEM teaching and learning will coach teachers, alongside small teams of high school students, to build confidence and knowledge and effectively integrate the equipment into instruction.
"This project bridges technology, expertise and guidance to ensure students are prepared to take on the future of Kansas manufacturing and teachers are supported to use the technology and see themselves as STEM doers and teachers," said Karen Eppley, director of the Rural Education Center, associate professor of education and lead principal investigator of the project.
Skilled trade workforce and postsecondary development
KSCAC advisors will provide one-on-one career counseling that includes information on manufacturing careers. The advisors will also create direct partnerships with local manufacturers for internships and apprenticeships for all students, whether they are college-bound, exploring technical programs or planning to enter the workforce immediately after graduation.
"Rural students have the talent for advanced careers but lack the guidance to see these opportunities," said Chris Beggs, KSCAC executive director. "By embedding full-time advisors in high schools, we're creating tangible pathways from classroom to career."
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 169,000 Kansans work in manufacturing industries, but worker shortages persist. According to the 2025 Why Rural Matters report co-authored by Eppley, rural Kansas students experience a ratio of one school counselor per every 254 students. The team aims to close this gap not only by helping students with postsecondary readiness through information about career options, especially in the manufacturing sector, but also through assistance with college applications and financial aid, Beggs said.
"One-on-one career counseling is often key to helping students build successful careers. Equipping schools with state-of-the-art technology makes workforce training possible," Beggs said, "and with career advisors to point students toward these opportunities, we're providing the human connection that changes lives. KSCAC is the bridge between classroom learning and career success."
In addition to Eppley and Beggs, the project includes J. Spencer Clark, professor of curriculum and instruction; Meng Zhang, associate professor, and Shuting Lei, professor, both in industrial and manufacturing systems engineering.