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Youth in Manufacturing: The Wave of the Future

Imagine creating a three-dimensional design on a computer (Computer Aided Design), transferring the design to a computer numeric control (CNC) machine, taking the finished product home after being built, and touring local companies to see if you can do this for a good living! Sound exciting?

This was the basic premise of "Machine Adventures: the High Tech Manufacturing Summer Camp" organized by the Jane Addams Resource Corporation (JARC) and sponsored by the Fabricators and Manufacturers' Association (FMA) and the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) last summer. JARC, a community development organization specializing in industrial retention, training and educational initiatives, was selected among 17 non-profit organizations and educational institutions nationwide to run a manufacturing summer camp.

"Machine Adventures" was developed to introduce students to career opportunities in high-tech manufacturing. JARC put together two free weeklong day camps for Chicago area youth ages 13–17 (grades 8–10). As Ray Prendergast, the Executive Director of Jane Addams Resource Corporation explained, "the goal was to target students entering high schools and high school students who are making important career decisions, and to showcase the changing, high-tech world of contemporary manufacturing." The camp recruited from middle and high schools located around JARC (many from Senn High School) and from children of JARC's adult clients.

"The goal was to target students entering high schools and high school students who are making important career decisions, and to showcase the changing, high-tech world of contemporary manufacturing."

Using instructors that were industry specialists, students saw demonstrations and participated in hands-on workshops in the following: stamping, conventional machine tools, programming and operating computer numerical control (CNC) machine tools and Solid Works 3-D Computer Aided Designs (CADs).

The students were also able to take field trips to manufacturing companies and high tech plants, including Mazak's Laser Division, EMCO Gear, S&C Electric Company and Winzeler Gear. ""We knew we needed spectacular field trips," stated Guy Loudon, Director of Training Services at JARC. "Manufacturing has to plant a pole of attraction for kids who like computers and who are good in math." The problem is two-fold, as Loudon explains it. "We must educate both the kids and the parents about high-growth jobs created by technological changes and at the same time, battle the negative stereotypes about manufacturing." JARC's field trips were an important part of communicating that vision.

Each company made excellent presentations about exciting careers and connected with the students in ways unexpected. At Mazak, a female machinist connected with the three young women in the camp to counter the notion that manufacturing is only for men; at Winzeler Gear, a young Hispanic man served as a positive role model for the Hispanic teens in the group. "Each company made very strong presentations about career paths in manufacturing, and connected the dots for these teens in a very real way," stated Loudon.

"We must educate both the kids and the parents about high-growth jobs created by technological changes and at the same time, battle the negative stereotypes about manufacturing."

The fun didn't stop there. The weeklong camp included "traditional" camp activities (sports, etc…) and ended with a BBQ picnic. Next year, JARC plans to add more hands-on activities and more company tours to the camp.

Prendergast and Loudon felt the program was a huge success. "JARC worked with industry partners who presented exciting technologies and careers to students who had never previously been exposed to manufacturing," Prendergast noted. Loudon views this camp as "a model of new best practices for engaging public school students to explore manufacturing as a career choice."

For more information about JARC's summer camp, contact Guy Loudon at guyl@jane-addams.org or by phone at (773) 728-9769, ext. 16.
For more information about applying for a grant for a manufacturing summer camp, visit FMA's website at www.fma-foundation.org.

JARC's After School Matters Program

JARC's summer camp was the "starting point in a longer-term intervention to stimulate kids' interests in manufacturing," expressed Loudon. JARC's After School Matters program, ART-2-PART, is the next step. "We have been extremely successful recruiting summer campers to participate in our After School Matters apprenticeship program, " noted Loudon. "We are batting 100% in our recruitment efforts."

ART-2-PART is an apprenticeship program for high-school students in computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing. Students who are accepted into this apprenticeship program take courses in CNC I (programming CNC machine tools), CNC II (set up and operating CNC machine tools), Solid Works (3-D Computer Aided Design) and Quality Control (Shop Math, Trigonometry, Print Reading and Metrology for Manufacturing).

Students accepted into the apprenticeship program can "earn while they learn," JARC emphasizes. Students get a paid stipend to come to the training program based on attendance both in the program and in school. For more information about the After School Matters program, contact Guy Loudon at guyl@jane-addams.org or by phone at (773) 728-9769, ext. 16 to schedule an interview.

Chicago Public School's Education-to-Careers Department

"Chicago's community colleges and manufacturing companies have partnered with CPS to allow our manufacturing students the opportunity to continue to grow and learn in this dynamic field."

The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Education To Careers (ETC) Manufacturing Programs are not just your traditional "vocational education" programs anymore. These programs prepare students for their lives beyond the classroom by equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in postsecondary education, advanced career training or immediate entry into jobs with a meaningful career path.

ETC's Manufacturing Programs value and promote manufacturing as part of a city-wide effort to keep manufacturing alive and to protect it from becoming a lost field of study, Veronica A. Martinez, Program Manager for ETC's Manufacturing, Transportation, & Logistics Programs, explains. "In addition to technical training, the students learn life skills and team work," she adds. "Chicago's community colleges and manufacturing companies have partnered with CPS to allow our manufacturing students the opportunity to continue to grow and learn in this dynamic field."

The Manufacturing Cluster of ETC prepares students for entry-level jobs and postsecondary study for careers in modern manufacturing, with a curriculum based on industry standards. These programs combine a rigorous high school academic curriculum with hands-on training in career and technical subjects and workplace competencies.

Many high schools currently offer manufacturing programs: Machine Operator (Curie, Lane, Prosser, Simeon and Tilden): Electronics (Curie, Julian and Lane): Mechanical Drafting (Lane); Plastics (Chicago Vocational); and AEDF (Associated Equipment Distributors Foundation) Equipment and Technology (Gage Park). Graduates are qualified to enter the workforce as Machine Operators, Plastics Fabricators and Engravers, Machinists, Drafters, Quality Assurance Technicians, Maintenance Repair trainees, Tool and Die Apprentices, and Electronics technicians. In addition, manufacturing students can obtain industry certifications.

For more information on CPS' ETC programs, visit their website at www.etcchicago.com.

Austin Polytechnical Academy

Moving along the educational spectrum, the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council (CMRC) is leading the team creating the Austin Polytechnical Academy - a proposed high school on the West Side to provide career paths for Chicago's teens in the manufacturing economy.

As approved, this "small school academy" will open in September 2007 with 140 first year students. Austin Polytech will work directly with high performance manufacturing companies in the Chicagoland area and will be able to provide work exposure, internships, apprenticeships, and access to careers in all aspects of manufacturing. Twenty manufacturing companies have already signed up as "Austin Polytech Partners" and 250 parents and prospective students signed up for an open house at the Chicago High School Fair at McCormick Place. This education will prepare students for the most skilled and highest paying jobs in manufacturing – in production, management and ownership of manufacturing companies.

Dan Swinney, Executive Director of the Center for Labor and Community Research and the Chicago Manufacturing Renaissance Council described the significance of the proposed Austin Polytech: "This school is explicitly a critical part of a comprehensive development vision for the Austin community and the City of Chicago to "lead the race to the top" in global, high performance, high-value added manufacturing."

Visit the Center for Labor and Community Research's website at www.clcr.org for updates on this exciting project and links to CMRC and Austin Polytech.

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