OT-Praxis curriculum and competency alignment
Curriculum mapped to the work modern manufacturing demands
OT-Praxis is not another multiple-choice cybersecurity course. It combines industrial cybersecurity, automation, troubleshooting, and AI-assisted decision-making in adaptive simulations where students investigate evidence, communicate with stakeholders, verify AI recommendations, and act within real production constraints.
Learners produce observable evidence of applied judgment—not only a record of course completion.
Mapped to selected NIST Manufacturing USA KSAs
- 01
Investigate Request evidence across fault domains
- 02
Verify Challenge unsupported recommendations
- 03
Decide Act inside safety and authority limits
- 04
Transfer Reapply the principle as conditions change
Source-grounded workforce evidence
Scope: OT-Praxis maps to a selected subset of these competencies and does not claim to cover the entire NIST framework. The AI-fluency figure is external market research, not an OT-Praxis learner outcome.
Six-module curriculum
From industrial foundations to integrated judgment
Each module connects purpose, realistic student work, selected standards alignment, observable evidence, and changed-condition transfer. Expand a module for the full view.
OT-Praxis FoundationsIndustrial context, operational roles, evidence, authority, and safety.
Purpose
Build the learner’s understanding of industrial operations, manufacturing systems, operating roles, production dependencies, operational technology, evidence collection, safety, and escalation.
Delivery: Guided simulation, evidence review, structured reflection, and faculty debrief.
What students do
- Identify the systems and stakeholders involved in a stopped production cell.
- Distinguish physical, controls, network, software, security, and process dependencies.
- Classify what is known, claimed, assumed, and missing.
- Determine who has authority over a proposed intervention.
- Explain how a small technical decision can affect safety, quality, and production.
Observable learner evidence
- System-context map
- Stakeholder and authority map
- Evidence classification
- Initial escalation decision
- Safety and production-impact explanation
Intended proficiency outcome
- Construct an accurate operating context before diagnosing a fault.
- Gather and classify evidence while preserving safety and decision authority.
- Explain cross-functional consequences of an industrial intervention.
Related occupational pathways
- Controls and Automation Technician or Specialist
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technician
- Maintenance and Repair Worker
- Process or Manufacturing Engineer
- Quality Control or Assurance Analyst
Sample scenario work
- Build a system-context map for a stopped robotic assembly cell.
- Resolve an escalation decision when production urgency conflicts with unclear authority.
Selected alignment
NIST KSAs and applied extensions
4.2.01.01Direct NIST mappingBasic understanding of industrial manufacturing principles
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.1 · Critical Work Functions
Explains how the cell contributes to the production process before proposing a technical action.
Target: Level 2 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 554.2.02.01Direct NIST mappingUnderstand and develop interdependence of teams, work units, departments, organizations, interorganizational systems, and the larger environment
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.2 · Systems
Connects team decisions and technical dependencies to consequences elsewhere in the operation.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 564.2.11.05Direct NIST mappingManufacturing process flow
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring
Locates the stopped cell within the process flow and identifies upstream and downstream impacts.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 644.2.11.06Direct NIST mappingOperational Technology (OT)
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring
Distinguishes OT assets and functions from enterprise IT and physical process elements.
Target: Level 2 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 644.6.08.06Direct NIST mappingUnderstand and follow safety procedures
4.6 · Process & Equipment Health, Safety, and Environment
4.6.8 · Safety Procedures
Names applicable safety boundaries and pauses or escalates work when authority is unclear.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 73OT-Praxis Connected OperationsControls, robotics, IT/OT integration, IIoT, networking, and data flows.
Purpose
Develop practical understanding of connected industrial systems, industrial controls, robotics, IT/OT integration, IIoT, data flows, networking, and production-system dependencies.
Delivery: Scenario lab with evidence requests, dependency mapping, and transfer exercise.
What students do
- Trace communication among a PLC, robot, HMI, historian, edge node, and enterprise system.
- Diagnose a connectivity or data-flow failure.
- Evaluate how a network, naming, routing, access, or configuration issue affects production.
- Distinguish a machine problem from a connectivity, application, controls, or authorization problem.
Observable learner evidence
- Dependency trace
- Data-flow interpretation
- Fault-domain hypothesis
- Requested diagnostic evidence
- Impact assessment
Intended proficiency outcome
- Trace cyber-physical and IT/OT dependencies in a connected manufacturing system.
- Use control, device, and network evidence to isolate a plausible fault domain.
- Recommend and verify a targeted network optimization when supported by evidence.
Related occupational pathways
- Controls and Automation Technician or Specialist
- Robotics Technician
- Robotics Integrator
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technician
- Control Systems Engineer
Sample scenario work
- Trace a missing quality-data record from the cell through an edge and enterprise path.
- Isolate an intermittent controller-to-robot communications fault.
Selected alignment
NIST KSAs and applied extensions
4.2.06.05Direct NIST mappingKnowledge and use of industrial control software
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.6 · Automated Systems and Control Operations
Uses control-system status and history as evidence without treating a single interface as conclusive.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 584.2.06.10Direct NIST mappingUnderstand and use factory automation technologies
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.6 · Automated Systems and Control Operations
Explains the control relationship among the automation technologies in the simulated cell.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 594.2.06.11Direct NIST mappingUse computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics, or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.6 · Automated Systems and Control Operations
Selects appropriate device evidence and relates it to the physical work performed by the cell.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 595.2.02.01Direct NIST mappingCyber-Physical Systems (CPS)
5.2 · Smart Manufacturing Technology
5.2.2 · IT/OT Integrations
Identifies a cyber-physical dependency and predicts the operational consequence of its failure.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 745.2.02.02Direct NIST mappingIndustrial Internet of Things devices
5.2 · Smart Manufacturing Technology
5.2.2 · IT/OT Integrations
Compares device telemetry with independent evidence and identifies missing context.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 745.2.02.03Direct NIST mappingInformation Technology (IT)/OT integration
5.2 · Smart Manufacturing Technology
5.2.2 · IT/OT Integrations
Identifies the IT/OT handoffs, trust boundaries, and potential impact of a configuration issue.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 745.3.03.01Direct NIST mappingNetwork optimization
5.3 · Information Technology
5.3.3 · Networking and Communications
Uses measured network evidence to recommend or reject an optimization while accounting for production constraints.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 76OT-Praxis Troubleshooting and ReliabilityFault isolation, monitoring, root-cause reasoning, restoration, and recurrence prevention.
Purpose
Teach structured fault isolation, production monitoring, root-cause reasoning, restoration validation, and recurrence prevention.
Delivery: Current founding-partner incident: approximately 60 minutes plus structured reflection and faculty debrief.
What students do
- Diagnose an intermittent PLC-to-robot communications failure.
- Correlate fault history, interface counters, maintenance actions, and production events.
- Evaluate competing claims from maintenance, networking, production, and the OEM.
- Test hypotheses in an efficient sequence.
- Verify that restored production is stable and distinguish restoration from permanent correction.
Observable learner evidence
- Ordered diagnostic plan
- Evidence-backed root-cause hypothesis
- Rejected alternatives with reasons
- Restoration verification
- Recurrence-control recommendation
- Incident record
Intended proficiency outcome
- Execute an efficient, evidence-led fault-isolation sequence.
- Defend a calibrated root-cause conclusion while rejecting alternatives with reasons.
- Verify restoration and propose a reliability improvement.
Related occupational pathways
- Controls and Automation Technician or Specialist
- Robotics Technician
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technician
- Maintenance and Repair Worker
- Process or Manufacturing Engineer
- Quality Control or Assurance Analyst
Sample scenario work
- Investigate intermittent PLC-to-robot communication alarms after a recent maintenance action.
- Verify stable restoration and recommend a recurrence-control measure.
Selected alignment
NIST KSAs and applied extensions
4.1.07.01Direct NIST mappingAdvanced fault finding on actual equipment
4.1 · Advanced Manufacturing Product Design and Development
4.1.7 · Testing/Troubleshooting
Builds and executes an ordered diagnostic plan that minimizes unnecessary intervention.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 534.1.07.02Direct NIST mappingData collection/analysis
4.1 · Advanced Manufacturing Product Design and Development
4.1.7 · Testing/Troubleshooting
Selects relevant data, preserves timing, and distinguishes observations from interpretation.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 534.1.07.03Direct NIST mappingInvestigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and to recommend remedies
4.1 · Advanced Manufacturing Product Design and Development
4.1.7 · Testing/Troubleshooting
Diagnoses the most supported fault and recommends a proportionate remedy.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF pp. 53–544.2.11.07Direct NIST mappingOperations monitoring
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring
Uses operational indicators to establish a baseline and verify stable recovery.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 644.2.11.09Direct NIST mappingParticipates in troubleshooting, trend analysis, and root-cause analysis of operations
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring
Updates hypotheses as evidence changes and rejects alternatives with stated reasons.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 654.2.11.11Direct NIST mappingProduction/process troubleshooting
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring
Distinguishes immediate production restoration from permanent corrective action.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 654.2.11.12Direct NIST mappingRobot and system troubleshooting
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring
Tests robot, controls, and communications hypotheses using discriminating evidence.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 654.3.33.01Direct NIST mappingFailure Analysis
4.3 · Maintenance, Installation, and Repair
4.3.33 · Reliability and Maintainability
Connects failure evidence to a maintainability or reliability improvement.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 695.2.03.03Direct NIST mappingRoot-cause analysis
5.2 · Smart Manufacturing Technology
5.2.3 · Efficiency and Process Improvements
States a cause with calibrated confidence and identifies what evidence could disconfirm it.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 75OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber OperationsCyber response grounded in production, safety, quality, authority, and recovery.
Purpose
Teach learners to evaluate industrial vulnerabilities and cyber events without ignoring production, safety, quality, access authority, or recovery constraints.
Delivery: Facilitated cyber-operations simulation with authorization trail and recovery review.
What students do
- Determine whether a CISA or vendor advisory applies to a simulated environment.
- Distinguish vulnerability presence from exposure and exploitability.
- Evaluate an emergency vendor-access request and recommend compensating controls.
- Preserve authorization and change-control boundaries.
- Validate recovery, document residual risk, and escalate to the right operational owners.
Observable learner evidence
- Applicability analysis
- Asset and exposure assessment
- Prioritized response
- Compensating-control rationale
- Authorization trail
- Stakeholder communication
- Recovery and residual-risk record
Intended proficiency outcome
- Assess industrial cyber applicability, exposure, and operational consequence.
- Select a proportionate response within safety, authorization, and change boundaries.
- Verify recovery and communicate residual risk to responsible stakeholders.
Related occupational pathways
- Cybersecurity Analyst for Small and Midsized Manufacturers
- Supply-Chain Cybersecurity Compliance Specialist
- Controls and Automation Technician or Specialist
- Control Systems Engineer
- Process or Manufacturing Engineer
Sample scenario work
- Assess a fictionalized industrial advisory for applicability and exposure.
- Respond to a vendor request for urgent remote access during a production interruption.
Selected alignment
NIST KSAs and applied extensions
5.4.01.01Direct NIST mappingCybersecurity processes
5.4 · NICE Framework/Cybersecurity
5.4.1 · Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Moves from triage through response and recovery without bypassing operational governance.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 765.4.01.02Direct NIST mappingUnderstand and adhere to regulatory guidelines, policies, standards, and control frameworks
5.4 · NICE Framework/Cybersecurity
5.4.1 · Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Identifies relevant governance constraints without claiming a framework endorsement.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 775.4.01.03Direct NIST mappingUnderstand and use cybersecurity fundamentals
5.4 · NICE Framework/Cybersecurity
5.4.1 · Cybersecurity Fundamentals
Selects proportionate controls and explains their cyber and production effects.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 775.4.02.01Direct NIST mappingUnderstand and apply data privacy regulations and ethics
5.4 · NICE Framework/Cybersecurity
5.4.2 · Access Controls
Limits data sharing to an authorized, necessary purpose and documents the decision.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 775.4.03.01Direct NIST mappingAudit Support
5.4 · NICE Framework/Cybersecurity
5.4.3 · Cyber Resiliency
Records evidence, approvals, actions, and outcomes in a reviewable sequence.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 775.4.03.02Direct NIST mappingCyber assessment/audit tools and practices
5.4 · NICE Framework/Cybersecurity
5.4.3 · Cyber Resiliency
Uses assessment outputs as evidence, recognizes their limits, and avoids unnecessary disruption.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 775.4.03.04Direct NIST mappingResilient cybersecurity response, administrative tools, and program implementation
5.4 · NICE Framework/Cybersecurity
5.4.3 · Cyber Resiliency
Prioritizes response actions, coordinates responsible parties, and documents residual risk.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 775.4.04.01Direct NIST mappingCybersecurity standards in OT and CPS
5.4 · NICE Framework/Cybersecurity
5.4.4 · Operating Technology (OT) Security
Explains why an OT response differs from a generic enterprise-IT response.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 775.4.04.02Direct NIST mappingUnderstand IT/OT integration security
5.4 · NICE Framework/Cybersecurity
5.4.4 · Operating Technology (OT) Security
Identifies trust boundaries, operational exposure, and compensating controls.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 774.1.09.02Direct NIST mappingFollow SOPs and provide documentation
4.1 · Advanced Manufacturing Product Design and Development
4.1.9 · Workflow Assessment
Uses the approved workflow and creates a complete, reviewable incident record.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 544.6.08.06Direct NIST mappingUnderstand and follow safety procedures
4.6 · Process & Equipment Health, Safety, and Environment
4.6.8 · Safety Procedures
Stops or escalates an action that conflicts with a safety boundary.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 73OTPX-AE-01OT-Praxis Applied ExtensionGovern time-bounded privileged remote access and session oversight
OTPX · OT-Praxis Applied Extensions
OTPX-AE · Applied industrial judgment
Requires accountable approval, least privilege, a bounded access window, session oversight, and closure evidence.
Target: Level 4 · OT-Praxis curriculum specification, Applied extension; no direct NIST AMS 600-20 KSA mapping is asserted.OT-Praxis AI-Assisted OperationsDelegation, evidence, verification, escalation, and accountable human judgment.
Purpose
Develop industrial AI fluency: knowing when and how to use AI, what evidence to verify, when to challenge or override AI output, what to escalate, and where human judgment and accountability must remain.
Delivery: Simulation-based AI recommendation review, evidence verification, and changed-workflow exercise.
What students do
- Evaluate an AI-generated root-cause hypothesis and its supporting assumptions.
- Detect a confident but unsupported recommendation.
- Decide what may be delegated and what requires human authorization.
- Compare AI recommendations with deterministic plant data and approved procedures.
- Document whether AI advice was accepted, modified, or rejected.
Observable learner evidence
- AI claim/evidence comparison
- Unsupported-assumption identification
- Accepted, modified, or rejected recommendation
- Escalation decision
- Human-authority justification
- Confidence calibration
- Revised workflow recommendation
Intended proficiency outcome
- Delegate appropriate work while preserving responsible human decision-making.
- Verify AI-generated claims against plant evidence, procedures, and operational constraints.
- Accept, modify, reject, or escalate AI output with a documented rationale.
Related occupational pathways
- Manufacturing Analytics Associate
- Controls and Automation Technician or Specialist
- Cybersecurity Analyst for Small and Midsized Manufacturers
- Process or Manufacturing Engineer
- Industrial Engineering Technologist or Technician
Sample scenario work
- Challenge a high-confidence switch-configuration recommendation that lacks plant evidence.
- Redesign an AI-assisted troubleshooting workflow with explicit verification gates.
AI-fluency behaviors
- Determine when AI use is appropriate and integrate it into a workflow.
- Critically evaluate, verify, and improve delegated work.
- Challenge or override unsupported output and escalate consequential decisions.
- Collaborate with people and intelligent systems while preserving human accountability.
- Adapt as tools and workflows change.
Selected alignment
NIST KSAs and applied extensions
5.2.01.04Direct NIST mappingUnderstand and apply Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning fundamentals
5.2 · Smart Manufacturing Technology
5.2.1 · Tools and Technologies
Explains the model's proposed role, limits, and required verification before consequential action.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 745.2.03.02Direct NIST mappingProcess control and optimization
5.2 · Smart Manufacturing Technology
5.2.3 · Efficiency and Process Improvements
Rejects or modifies an optimization proposal that lacks required process evidence.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 755.2.03.03Direct NIST mappingRoot-cause analysis
5.2 · Smart Manufacturing Technology
5.2.3 · Efficiency and Process Improvements
Identifies unsupported assumptions and requests evidence that can discriminate among causes.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 755.2.03.04Direct NIST mappingStatistical data analysis
5.2 · Smart Manufacturing Technology
5.2.3 · Efficiency and Process Improvements
Checks whether the cited data and pattern justify the recommendation's confidence.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 754.5.12.01Direct NIST mappingData collection and reporting
4.5 · Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement
4.5.12 · Data Analysis and Presentation
Creates a traceable record separating model claims, plant observations, and human decisions.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 714.1.07.02Direct NIST mappingData collection/analysis
4.1 · Advanced Manufacturing Product Design and Development
4.1.7 · Testing/Troubleshooting
Selects and preserves evidence that can verify or falsify the recommendation.
Target: Level 3 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 534.2.02.01Direct NIST mappingUnderstand and develop interdependence of teams, work units, departments, organizations, interorganizational systems, and the larger environment
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.2 · Systems
Identifies dependencies and responsible human decision owners across the workflow.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 56OTPX-AE-02OT-Praxis Applied ExtensionPreserve accountable human authority for consequential AI-assisted actions
OTPX · OT-Praxis Applied Extensions
OTPX-AE · Applied industrial judgment
Directs and challenges AI output while keeping a named human responsible for consequential decisions.
Target: Level 5 · OT-Praxis curriculum specification, Applied extension; no direct NIST AMS 600-20 KSA mapping is asserted.OT-Praxis Integrated CapstoneIntegrated investigation, communication, intervention, verification, reflection, and transfer.
Purpose
Measure whether the learner can integrate industrial operations, troubleshooting, cybersecurity, stakeholder communication, AI verification, safety, production impact, documentation, and transfer.
Delivery: Integrative capstone simulation, structured reflection, transfer case, and faculty review.
What students do
- Enter an ambiguous industrial incident whose evidence evolves over time.
- Investigate stakeholders with different information, priorities, and authority.
- Evaluate useful but potentially incomplete AI guidance.
- Investigate, communicate, decide, intervene, verify, and document.
- Apply the governing principle after material conditions change.
Observable learner evidence
- Investigation timeline
- Evidence ledger
- Stakeholder interactions
- Intervention rationale
- Authority and change-control record
- Production, safety, and quality impact
- AI-verification decisions
- Restoration validation
- Structured reflection
- Changed-condition transfer performance
Intended proficiency outcome
- Integrate technical, operational, cyber, safety, and communication judgment in one accountable response.
- Verify restoration and document evidence, authority, consequences, and residual uncertainty.
- Transfer the governing decision principle to a materially changed situation.
Related occupational pathways
- Controls and Automation Technician or Specialist
- Robotics Technician
- Robotics Integrator
- Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technician
- Industrial Engineering Technologist or Technician
- Manufacturing Analytics Associate
- Cybersecurity Analyst for Small and Midsized Manufacturers
- Supply-Chain Cybersecurity Compliance Specialist
- Maintenance and Repair Worker
- Quality Control or Assurance Analyst
- Process or Manufacturing Engineer
- Control Systems Engineer
Sample scenario work
- Resolve an integrated industrial incident with incomplete, conflicting, and time-varying evidence.
- Repeat the decision process after equipment, access, or production conditions materially change.
AI-fluency behaviors
- Verify consequential AI recommendations against evidence and procedures.
- Challenge unsupported confidence and preserve accountable human authority.
Selected alignment
NIST KSAs and applied extensions
4.1.07.03Direct NIST mappingInvestigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and to recommend remedies
4.1 · Advanced Manufacturing Product Design and Development
4.1.7 · Testing/Troubleshooting
Integrates changing evidence into a defensible diagnosis and intervention rationale.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF pp. 53–544.1.09.02Direct NIST mappingFollow SOPs and provide documentation
4.1 · Advanced Manufacturing Product Design and Development
4.1.9 · Workflow Assessment
Maintains a complete action, approval, and change-control record.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 544.2.02.01Direct NIST mappingUnderstand and develop interdependence of teams, work units, departments, organizations, interorganizational systems, and the larger environment
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.2 · Systems
Anticipates cross-team consequences and communicates a shared operating picture.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 564.2.11.09Direct NIST mappingParticipates in troubleshooting, trend analysis, and root-cause analysis of operations
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring
Updates the diagnostic strategy as the incident changes and explains rejected alternatives.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 654.2.13.01Direct NIST mappingProject management
4.2 · Operations Management
4.2.13 · Project Management and Execution
Sequences owners and tasks around operational constraints and decision gates.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 664.5.12.01Direct NIST mappingData collection and reporting
4.5 · Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement
4.5.12 · Data Analysis and Presentation
Produces a concise, traceable report suitable for faculty and operational review.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 714.6.08.06Direct NIST mappingUnderstand and follow safety procedures
4.6 · Process & Equipment Health, Safety, and Environment
4.6.8 · Safety Procedures
Maintains safety boundaries when urgency or stakeholder pressure increases.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 735.2.03.03Direct NIST mappingRoot-cause analysis
5.2 · Smart Manufacturing Technology
5.2.3 · Efficiency and Process Improvements
Connects physical, control, network, cyber, and process evidence at calibrated confidence.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 755.3.03.01Direct NIST mappingNetwork optimization
5.3 · Information Technology
5.3.3 · Networking and Communications
Uses measured network evidence to justify the optimization and verifies that it improves operation without unacceptable side effects.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 765.4.04.02Direct NIST mappingUnderstand IT/OT integration security
5.4 · NICE Framework/Cybersecurity
5.4.4 · Operating Technology (OT) Security
Balances exposure, access, production, and verification needs in the final recommendation.
Target: Level 4 · NIST AMS 600-20, Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework (June 2026), Appendix A, PDF p. 77OTPX-AE-03OT-Praxis Applied ExtensionTransfer an industrial decision principle to materially changed conditions
OTPX · OT-Praxis Applied Extensions
OTPX-AE · Applied industrial judgment
Adapts the decision strategy to new conditions instead of repeating the practiced answer.
Target: Level 4 · OT-Praxis curriculum specification, Applied extension; no direct NIST AMS 600-20 KSA mapping is asserted.Curriculum Alignment Explorer
Inspect the connection from KSA to learner evidence
Filter the structured curriculum manifest by module, NIST hierarchy, occupational pathway, assessment dimension, proficiency, or mapping status. Select any record to inspect the source and observable behavior.
Alignment language: OT-Praxis modules are mapped to selected knowledge, skills, and abilities in the NIST Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework and are informed by relevant cybersecurity and experiential-learning principles.
Showing 52 of 52 alignment records.
| Module | KSA | Alignment | Evidence | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OT-Praxis Foundations4.2.1 · Critical Work Functions | 4.2.01.01Basic understanding of industrial manufacturing principles | Direct NIST mapping | System-context map | |
| OT-Praxis Foundations4.2.2 · Systems | 4.2.02.01Understand and develop interdependence of teams, work units, departments, organizations, interorganizational systems, and the larger environment | Direct NIST mapping | Stakeholder and authority map | |
| OT-Praxis Foundations4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring | 4.2.11.05Manufacturing process flow | Direct NIST mapping | Manufacturing-flow annotation | |
| OT-Praxis Foundations4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring | 4.2.11.06Operational Technology (OT) | Direct NIST mapping | OT asset inventory | |
| OT-Praxis Foundations4.6.8 · Safety Procedures | 4.6.08.06Understand and follow safety procedures | Direct NIST mapping | Safety and escalation decision | |
| OT-Praxis Connected Operations4.2.6 · Automated Systems and Control Operations | 4.2.06.05Knowledge and use of industrial control software | Direct NIST mapping | Control-software evidence note | |
| OT-Praxis Connected Operations4.2.6 · Automated Systems and Control Operations | 4.2.06.10Understand and use factory automation technologies | Direct NIST mapping | Automation dependency trace | |
| OT-Praxis Connected Operations4.2.6 · Automated Systems and Control Operations | 4.2.06.11Use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics, or high-technology industrial applications to perform work duties | Direct NIST mapping | Device-evidence worksheet | |
| OT-Praxis Connected Operations5.2.2 · IT/OT Integrations | 5.2.02.01Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) | Direct NIST mapping | Cyber-physical impact explanation | |
| OT-Praxis Connected Operations5.2.2 · IT/OT Integrations | 5.2.02.02Industrial Internet of Things devices | Direct NIST mapping | IIoT evidence comparison | |
| OT-Praxis Connected Operations5.2.2 · IT/OT Integrations | 5.2.02.03Information Technology (IT)/OT integration | Direct NIST mapping | IT/OT data-flow map | |
| OT-Praxis Connected Operations5.3.3 · Networking and Communications | 5.3.03.01Network optimization | Direct NIST mapping | Network optimization assessment | |
| OT-Praxis Troubleshooting and Reliability4.1.7 · Testing/Troubleshooting | 4.1.07.01Advanced fault finding on actual equipment | Direct NIST mapping | Ordered diagnostic plan | |
| OT-Praxis Troubleshooting and Reliability4.1.7 · Testing/Troubleshooting | 4.1.07.02Data collection/analysis | Direct NIST mapping | Evidence ledger | |
| OT-Praxis Troubleshooting and Reliability4.1.7 · Testing/Troubleshooting | 4.1.07.03Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and to recommend remedies | Direct NIST mapping | Root-cause hypothesis and remedy | |
| OT-Praxis Troubleshooting and Reliability4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring | 4.2.11.07Operations monitoring | Direct NIST mapping | Operations-monitoring record | |
| OT-Praxis Troubleshooting and Reliability4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring | 4.2.11.09Participates in troubleshooting, trend analysis, and root-cause analysis of operations | Direct NIST mapping | Hypothesis revision log | |
| OT-Praxis Troubleshooting and Reliability4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring | 4.2.11.11Production/process troubleshooting | Direct NIST mapping | Restoration versus correction plan | |
| OT-Praxis Troubleshooting and Reliability4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring | 4.2.11.12Robot and system troubleshooting | Direct NIST mapping | Robot-system fault isolation record | |
| OT-Praxis Troubleshooting and Reliability4.3.33 · Reliability and Maintainability | 4.3.33.01Failure Analysis | Direct NIST mapping | Failure analysis and recurrence recommendation | |
| OT-Praxis Troubleshooting and Reliability5.2.3 · Efficiency and Process Improvements | 5.2.03.03Root-cause analysis | Direct NIST mapping | Evidence-backed root-cause analysis | |
| OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber Operations5.4.1 · Cybersecurity Fundamentals | 5.4.01.01Cybersecurity processes | Direct NIST mapping | Cyber-response workflow | |
| OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber Operations5.4.1 · Cybersecurity Fundamentals | 5.4.01.02Understand and adhere to regulatory guidelines, policies, standards, and control frameworks | Direct NIST mapping | Policy and framework rationale | |
| OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber Operations5.4.1 · Cybersecurity Fundamentals | 5.4.01.03Understand and use cybersecurity fundamentals | Direct NIST mapping | Control-selection rationale | |
| OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber Operations5.4.2 · Access Controls | 5.4.02.01Understand and apply data privacy regulations and ethics | Direct NIST mapping | Data-handling decision | |
| OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber Operations5.4.3 · Cyber Resiliency | 5.4.03.01Audit Support | Direct NIST mapping | Authorization and audit trail | |
| OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber Operations5.4.3 · Cyber Resiliency | 5.4.03.02Cyber assessment/audit tools and practices | Direct NIST mapping | Assessment evidence record | |
| OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber Operations5.4.3 · Cyber Resiliency | 5.4.03.04Resilient cybersecurity response, administrative tools, and program implementation | Direct NIST mapping | Resilient response plan | |
| OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber Operations5.4.4 · Operating Technology (OT) Security | 5.4.04.01Cybersecurity standards in OT and CPS | Direct NIST mapping | OT standards application note | |
| OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber Operations5.4.4 · Operating Technology (OT) Security | 5.4.04.02Understand IT/OT integration security | Direct NIST mapping | IT/OT security assessment | |
| OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber Operations4.1.9 · Workflow Assessment | 4.1.09.02Follow SOPs and provide documentation | Direct NIST mapping | SOP and change record | |
| OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber Operations4.6.8 · Safety Procedures | 4.6.08.06Understand and follow safety procedures | Direct NIST mapping | Safety review | |
| OT-Praxis Industrial Cyber OperationsOTPX-AE · Applied industrial judgment | OTPX-AE-01Govern time-bounded privileged remote access and session oversight | OT-Praxis Applied Extension | Remote-access authorization record | |
| OT-Praxis AI-Assisted Operations5.2.1 · Tools and Technologies | 5.2.01.04Understand and apply Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning fundamentals | Direct NIST mapping | AI-use decision | |
| OT-Praxis AI-Assisted Operations5.2.3 · Efficiency and Process Improvements | 5.2.03.02Process control and optimization | Direct NIST mapping | Process recommendation review | |
| OT-Praxis AI-Assisted Operations5.2.3 · Efficiency and Process Improvements | 5.2.03.03Root-cause analysis | Direct NIST mapping | AI claim/evidence comparison | |
| OT-Praxis AI-Assisted Operations5.2.3 · Efficiency and Process Improvements | 5.2.03.04Statistical data analysis | Direct NIST mapping | Statistical evidence review | |
| OT-Praxis AI-Assisted Operations4.5.12 · Data Analysis and Presentation | 4.5.12.01Data collection and reporting | Direct NIST mapping | AI decision evidence report | |
| OT-Praxis AI-Assisted Operations4.1.7 · Testing/Troubleshooting | 4.1.07.02Data collection/analysis | Direct NIST mapping | Verification evidence ledger | |
| OT-Praxis AI-Assisted Operations4.2.2 · Systems | 4.2.02.01Understand and develop interdependence of teams, work units, departments, organizations, interorganizational systems, and the larger environment | Direct NIST mapping | Human-system responsibility map | |
| OT-Praxis AI-Assisted OperationsOTPX-AE · Applied industrial judgment | OTPX-AE-02Preserve accountable human authority for consequential AI-assisted actions | OT-Praxis Applied Extension | Human-authority justification | |
| OT-Praxis Integrated Capstone4.1.7 · Testing/Troubleshooting | 4.1.07.03Investigate equipment failures or difficulties to diagnose faulty operation and to recommend remedies | Direct NIST mapping | Investigation timeline and intervention rationale | |
| OT-Praxis Integrated Capstone4.1.9 · Workflow Assessment | 4.1.09.02Follow SOPs and provide documentation | Direct NIST mapping | Authority and change-control record | |
| OT-Praxis Integrated Capstone4.2.2 · Systems | 4.2.02.01Understand and develop interdependence of teams, work units, departments, organizations, interorganizational systems, and the larger environment | Direct NIST mapping | Stakeholder interaction record | |
| OT-Praxis Integrated Capstone4.2.11 · Production/Process Monitoring | 4.2.11.09Participates in troubleshooting, trend analysis, and root-cause analysis of operations | Direct NIST mapping | Evidence ledger and hypothesis history | |
| OT-Praxis Integrated Capstone4.2.13 · Project Management and Execution | 4.2.13.01Project management | Direct NIST mapping | Incident execution plan | |
| OT-Praxis Integrated Capstone4.5.12 · Data Analysis and Presentation | 4.5.12.01Data collection and reporting | Direct NIST mapping | Integrated incident report | |
| OT-Praxis Integrated Capstone4.6.8 · Safety Procedures | 4.6.08.06Understand and follow safety procedures | Direct NIST mapping | Safety decision trail | |
| OT-Praxis Integrated Capstone5.2.3 · Efficiency and Process Improvements | 5.2.03.03Root-cause analysis | Direct NIST mapping | Cross-domain root-cause analysis | |
| OT-Praxis Integrated Capstone5.3.3 · Networking and Communications | 5.3.03.01Network optimization | Direct NIST mapping | Network optimization and verification record | |
| OT-Praxis Integrated Capstone5.4.4 · Operating Technology (OT) Security | 5.4.04.02Understand IT/OT integration security | Direct NIST mapping | IT/OT recovery security rationale | |
| OT-Praxis Integrated CapstoneOTPX-AE · Applied industrial judgment | OTPX-AE-03Transfer an industrial decision principle to materially changed conditions | OT-Praxis Applied Extension | Changed-condition transfer performance |
Occupational pathways
Built around the roles advanced manufacturing needs
The curriculum connects applied practice to selected occupational families represented in the NIST framework.
OT-Praxis develops transferable competencies associated with these occupational pathways. Education, experience, licensing, employer requirements, and role-specific technical preparation vary.
Experiential-learning methodology
A learning cycle designed for transfer
Experience alone does not guarantee reliable learning. OT-Praxis uses structured reflection, evidence review, conceptual explanation, feedback, and changed-condition retries to transform experience into transferable knowledge. [3] [4]
Repeating experience, reflection, conceptualization, and reapplication learning cycle
Experience
Enter a concrete industrial incident and take responsibility for evidence and decisions.
Reflect
Separate facts, assumptions, claims, uncertainty, consequences, and missed evidence.
Conceptualize
Connect the incident to principles, procedures, system relationships, and decision rules.
Reapply
Use the principle when the situation, equipment, evidence, or constraints materially change.
Academic connection
Activities connect to explicit academic objectives and existing course content.
Meaningful responsibility
Students own evidence requests, consequential decisions, and their explanations.
Visible progress
Faculty can monitor action history, evidence, feedback, reflection, and transfer.
Continuous feedback
Feedback can occur before, during, and after the simulated experience.
Outcome evidence
Assessment records what learners did in complex or ambiguous situations.
Structured reflection
Prompts before, during, and after the experience connect evidence to principles and prepare learners to reapply them.
OT-Praxis Readiness Index
Measure how students think, not only what they remember
The curriculum framework organizes recorded learner actions into ten instructional dimensions. For faculty interpretation, evidence can be described on a six-level proficiency scale; final numeric scores remain grounded in versioned deterministic rubric rules, not an LLM.
Ten evidence dimensions
- 01Evidence acquisition and disciplineRequests, preserves, classifies, and weighs relevant evidence before acting.
- 02Systems thinking and fault-domain isolationTraces cross-system dependencies and narrows the plausible fault domain.
- 03Troubleshooting and root-cause reasoningTests hypotheses efficiently and distinguishes evidence from conjecture.
- 04Cyber and operational risk judgmentBalances cyber risk with production, quality, recovery, and operational constraints.
- 05Safety, authorization, and change controlRespects safety procedures, decision authority, approvals, and change boundaries.
- 06Production-impact awarenessAnticipates production, quality, scheduling, and business consequences.
- 07Stakeholder communicationCommunicates evidence, uncertainty, decisions, and escalation needs precisely.
- 08Verification of AI recommendationsExamines assumptions and evidence before accepting, modifying, or rejecting AI output.
- 09Restoration and recurrence preventionVerifies stable restoration and recommends controls that reduce recurrence.
- 10Reflection and adaptive transferExplains the governing principle and reapplies it when material conditions change.
ILLUSTRATIVE LEARNER REPORTFictional example · not pilot data
Changed case3Illustrative median levelProfile evidence, not an official NIST score
Evidence acquisition and disciplineLevel 3
Systems thinking and fault-domain isolationLevel 3
Safety, authorization, and change controlLevel 4
Stakeholder communicationLevel 2
Verification of AI recommendationsLevel 4
Reflection and adaptive transferLevel 3
| Level | Label | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Not demonstrated | No relevant evidence or behavior conflicts with the competency. |
| 1 | Awareness | Recognizes the concept when prompted. |
| 2 | Guided application | Applies the competency with hints or structured support. |
| 3 | Independent application | Applies it correctly in the practiced scenario without prompting. |
| 4 | Adaptive transfer | Applies it when the context, evidence, equipment, or constraints change. |
| 5 | Verification leadership | Applies it, challenges unsupported claims, coordinates stakeholders, and improves the process. |
The 0–5 vocabulary above is the curriculum-level proficiency model for faculty planning and evidence interpretation. The current pilot continues to use its versioned deterministic 0–4 criteria and weighted 0–100 Readiness Index; this page does not reinterpret stored pilot scores.
- The OT-Praxis Readiness Index is an instructional performance measure—not a psychological or psychometric test.
- It is not a professional license, employment guarantee, or official NIST score.
- An LLM may explain feedback but must not be the sole authority for numeric scoring.
- Final scores are calculated from recorded learner actions and versioned rubric rules.
Industrial AI fluency
AI fluency for environments where decisions have physical consequences
OT-Praxis does not treat AI as a prompting novelty. Learners decide what to delegate, identify required evidence, verify generated claims, improve weak outputs, recognize missing context, challenge unsafe recommendations, escalate consequential decisions, and preserve human accountability. [2]
In OT-Praxis, AI is a collaborator to be directed and verified—not an authority to be obeyed.
- Decide when AI use is appropriate
- Integrate AI into a real workflow
- Verify claims against plant evidence
- Challenge or override unsupported output
- Preserve responsible human authority
- Adapt as tools and workflows change
In development · Scenario-authoring pipeline
Planned capability
Current threats become current training
OT-Praxis is being designed to transform reviewed CISA ICS advisories, Known Exploited Vulnerabilities, and vendor security notices into safe, fictionalized industrial scenarios. Students learn to determine applicability, assess exposure, protect production, verify recommendations, and document residual risk—without requiring access to a live exploit.
This is not a live CISA feed. Scenario material will require review before learner delivery, and the public site does not expose exploit instructions or offensive weaponization details.
Scenario source metadata
CISA_ICSCISA_KEVVENDOR_ADVISORYINSTRUCTOR_AUTHOREDSYNTHETIC
Faculty implementation
Designed to fit the program you already have
OT-Praxis complements core instruction, labs, and faculty expertise. It gives programs a structured simulation layer for applied decision practice and observable evidence.
Possible institutional uses
- Cybersecurity course lab
- Networking or infrastructure capstone
- Mechatronics or automation scenario
- Advanced-manufacturing curriculum
- High-school CTE module
- Dual-enrollment lab
- Workforce-development cohort
- Apprenticeship related technical instruction
- Employer incumbent-worker upskilling
- Faculty professional development
What faculty receive
- Instructor guide and learning objectives
- Selected NIST KSA map
- Pre- and post-assessment
- Scenario facilitation guide
- Learner performance report
- Reflection prompts and transfer exercise
- Cohort analytics
- Recommendations for curriculum integration
References
Source-grounded, with boundaries made visible
Source notes support the workforce and instructional rationale. Uploaded source PDFs are not publicly hosted or redistributed.
- [1]
Long, Joseph, et al. Analysis of the Manufacturing USA Occupation and Competency Framework: A Shared Language for Careers in Advanced Manufacturing. NIST AMS 600-20, June 2026. National Institute of Standards and Technology. https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.AMS.600-20.
- [2]
Alexis Krivkovich, Brooke Weddle, and Maurice Obeid. AI fluency: The next foundation of US economic competitiveness. August 2026. PDF pp. 2–4. Supplied research document; no OT-Praxis outcome is inferred.
- [3]
David A. Kolb. Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development (Second Edition). 2015. Chapter 2, pp. 31–64; learning cycle discussion pp. 50–61.
- [4]
Janet Eyler. The Power of Experiential Education. 2009. Liberal Education 95(4), pp. 24–31; especially pp. 29–31.
Standards disclaimer: Curriculum mapping indicates instructional alignment. OT-Praxis is not certified, approved, sponsored, or endorsed by NIST or Manufacturing USA.
Published research supports the instructional and workforce rationale behind OT-Praxis. These external studies are not results from the OT-Praxis platform. Pilot outcomes will be measured directly through learner assessments, scenario performance, reflection, transfer, and faculty review.
Faculty demonstration
See how students turn a technical concept into an accountable industrial decision.
Review the scenario, evidence model, selected KSA alignment, and curriculum fit in a focused 20-minute conversation.