Training

I admit to some bias against school. From about fifth grade on, our educational system and I were rarely on speaking terms. Think oil and water rather than peas and carrots. Needless to say, I left at my earliest opportunity. Aside from that thing with my daughter pulling the fire alarm, my kids were far better students. So when it came time for them to make the big decisions, I kept my opinion to myself and did what most parents do these days: Encourage them to get their college degrees.

Vincennes University and the Porter County, Ind., career center are partnering for an early college program. Students seeking careers in precision machining will benefit from a completed addition to the career center and an equipment grant from Vincennes University that provided more than $300,000 in new CNC equipment, manual/conventional equipment, tooling, cabinets, benches and tables.

By 2025, nearly 25 percent of the U.S. population is expected to be 60 years of age or older. With this demographic preparing to exit the workforce and enter retirement, what can be done to retain people's knowledge and pass it down to the next generation of employees? After all, a good portion of the knowledge that our "employee elders" possess is not written down or stored on computers—it's in their heads. This is especially true in the manufacturing sector.

If the third time is the charm for a grant request in Pardeeville, Wis., all its schools will win. But luck won’t get it done. Pardeeville High School applied last month for the Fab Lab grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Council, which awards $25,000 in matching funds for technology education at school districts.

The Eriez Metalworking Demo Truck, a 32-ft. Peterbilt diesel rig with a 24-ft. equipment showroom belonging to Eriez Manufacturing Co., Erie, Pa., is once again traveling across North America to deliver hands-on training and education to customers and distributors. The 2018 tour has started with West Coast stops.

Grayson College has unveiled its $1.4 million Advanced Manufacturing Lab for the school’s Career and Technology Center, writes Rhea Bermel in the Herald Democrat. The lab will provide space for large industrial machinery, classrooms and storage and will be used largely to educate students participating in the Advanced Manufacturing Program.

Since its founding in 2008, 421 graduates of the nonprofit school Workshops for Warriors, San Diego, have earned 2,500 nationally recognized certifications from the National Institute for Metalworking Skills Inc., the American Welding Society and more. Even more noteworthy is the fact that the educational institution exists to train military veterans for metalworking careers. Manufacturers have lined up to support that mission, with more than 70 corporations each donating $10,000 or more in cash, equipment or materials in 2016 and the first 7 months of 2017 alone. Workshops for Warriors must raise $2.5 million annually just to maintain current operations.

Hands-on learning is quickly becoming the best-known way for students to fully grasp concepts and curriculum, especially in the world of technical education. To this end, classrooms have started to change in accommodation for this type of hands-on teaching. This early exposure to machine tools preps kids for the work they’ll see throughout their careers.