Arizona ExLENT Advanced Medical Device Manufacturing Initiative
- Alexis Rivera
- Mar 19
- 2 min read
Maricopa Community College District (MCCCD), with the support of the Medical Device Manufacturing Multiplier (MDM2), has recently applied for the NSF Experiential Learning in Emerging and Novel Technologies Program (NSF ExLENT).
The goal of this grant is to support experiential learning opportunities for individuals from diverse professional and educational backgrounds, ultimately increasing access to and interest in career pathways within emerging technology fields. The program will award between 25 to 35 ExLENT grants.
This initiative aims to launch training programs and build a robust pipeline of workers in the medical device sector. The proposal specifically targets current professionals from any field, providing experiential learning opportunities that develop the skills and competencies needed for a transition into careers in medical device manufacturing. MCCCD plans to establish a multi-year regional partnership to expand training programs, initially focusing on quality assurance and manufacturing skills.
The project aims to accomplish three main goals:
Foster and grow a more qualified Medical Device Manufacturing workforce aligned with regional economy and industry needs
Build a strong capacity for supporting individuals in increasing their education and achieving career success in advanced manufacturing fields
Increase the knowledge base and disseminate proven practices for advanced manufacturing education and career success, leading to broader impacts.
To achieve these goals, MCCCD is leveraging cross-sector partnerships that include the MDM2 Consortium, MCCCD leadership, Glendale Community College, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), and West Pharmaceutical Services. These partners will help identify in-demand technician-level positions. The initiative includes training programs such as a Quality Assurance Technician Certificate of Completion (CCL), a Production Supervisor CCL Training Program, and a Safety Course to prepare students at the college level prior to employment. The objective of these training courses is to build skills relevant to the medical device industry while also offering transferable skills applicable to various manufacturing sectors.
One major goal of the MDM2 Consortium is to cultivate and sustain a diverse workforce pipeline for medical device manufacturing, creating entry points for individuals with varying levels of experience and skills. This aligns seamlessly with the Arizona ExLENT application. The collaborative efforts of the MDM2 Consortium have been important in developing this workforce pipeline by creating pathways for these workers. The Arizona ExLENT application aims to enhance these pathways by introducing various CCL Training Programs, enabling the workforce to acquire a wide range of skills applicable across multiple sectors.