Manufacturers and educators are closely tied by some
common goals. Now more than ever manufacturers and
educators are finding themselves
standing on common ground looking to align towards each other’s needs. On one
end of the continuum are educators who are looking to streamline curriculum to
match local workforce needs; while on the other end of the same continuum are
industry professionals who are depending on educators to equip and train
students with credentials and ready-to-work skills that meet their current
workforce needs. In an effort to bridge and/or lesson the gap between the two
ends of this spectrum, FLATE recently hosted a summer Career Institute for educators
that served as a common platform for industry and educators to openly discuss
ideas and strategies to develop curriculum and training modules that match
manufacturers’ needs.
The three day Institute involved 84
participants that included teachers, manufacturers and industry leaders
from across Florida who convened to share ideas and best practices and formulate
streamlined education modules. “Like all good educators I want to see what the
other educators are doing successfully” said Russ Henderlite, teacher at Frank
H. Peterson Academies of Technology in Jacksonville, FL. The workshop was infused
with hands-on activities that centered on additive manufacturing, SolidWorks
and 3D printing exercises targeted to give educators a hands-on perspective on
cutting-edge manufacturing practices currently implemented by high-tech
manufacturers across the state. “I loved the workshop as it gave me a
real-world view of manufacturing and helped identify the gaps between education
and employment” said Selena Lewis, Project Lead the Way teacher at Young Middle
Magnet School in Tampa.
During the three day workshop, educators
also got information about FLATE’s new CIS (Comprehension Instructional Sequence
Model) lesson plans. This new curriculum is aligned with the common core/FL
standards, and is designed to build learners’ background knowledge in STEM,
expand their vocabularies, and promote reading/writing success. “I knew
anything FLATE offered would be professionally rewarding for me” said Akilah
Graham, teacher at Young Middle Magnet School who previously attended FLATE
teacher camp and was inspired to start an “All Girls STEM Club” to get girls
interested in STEM and robotics.
In addition to the curriculum piece, educators
got a 360 degree perspective on manufacturing and STEM
being applied in
real-world settings through industry tours to Vulcan Machine, Inc., Southern Manufacturing
Technologies, and EMS Inc. in Tampa. “I had never been to a manufacturing
facility. I liked seeing the 3D printers and how ubiquitous they are in the
workplace” said Laurie Hamill, STEAM teacher at Rowlett Academy. Russ
Henderlite, who works closely with FLATE Executive Director, Dr. Marilyn Barger
on several curriculum issues, agreed the tours gave him additional insight on
discussing various technologies at play, the range of materials and machines
being used by manufacturers, that he could take back to the classroom and
discuss with his students.
The highlight of the three day workshop
featured
a luncheon tête-à-tête with a distinguished
panel of manufacturers from across Florida. Educators and panelists discussed current
educational and training requirements. They also examined the importance of
certifications at the high school level, brainstormed ideas for creating ‘a
hook’ for students to be engaged in manufacturing, and reviewed areas and
opportunities for new training and education.
Manufacturers like Roy Sweatman, president and CEO of
Southern Manufacturing Technologies, pointed to
the importance of soft skills,
ability of students/new employees to take on complex tasks, work as a team,
develop effective communication, problem-solving and leadership skills. Both manufacturers
and educators also stressed the significance of creating meaningful internships
and apprenticeship programs, and also establishing sustainable partnerships with
local industry contacts. With reference to industry-school relationships and
adoptions, Dr. Marilyn Barger pointed to the “importance of establishing an
institutional relationship vs. a personal relationship.” In terms of
internships, Mike Brewster, vice president for Operations at Monin in Tampa, underlined
the need to use interns in a productive manner. Mercedes Heredia, an
engineering technology graduate from Hillsborough Community College who is currently interning at MiTek and served as a guest panelist along with Lydia Moring, HR manager at MiTek, also agreed supervisors
play a definitive role in serving as a model in generating an intern’s interest
in manufacturing careers. As for industry certifications, Russ Henderlite suggested
using it as a general guideline of a current/prospective employee’s knowledge
base, but not as a guarantee to assess the ability to apply theoretical
principles in real-world settings. Following the luncheon session with
manufacturers, the group was subdivided into groups of 4-6 participants for a
one-on-one session with an industry panelist.
FLATE’s summer institute for educators afforded several
enriching experiences in communicating and bridging common concerns of
educators and manufacturers. Post event survey data reflect an overall positive
response from attendees. One hundred percent of the attendees stated they plan
to use the information presented during the workshop. The same percentage
(100%) also stated they would recommend the workshop to their peers/others. Approximately
90% of the attendees also stated the lunch with manufacturers was good and/or
excellent. Approximately 95% of attendees rated their overall industry tour as
good and/or excellent.
For more information about FLATE 2015 Advanced Manufacturing
Institute visit www.fl-ate.org, or contact Dr, Marilyn
Barger, executive director of FLATE at barger@fl-ate.org.
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