People are eager to talk about what they are doing to help the industry

What are you doing to help the industry? Well, this simple question posed in a recent editorial inspired responses from an array of readers. However, what was exciting to see was not just the number of responses but the enthusiasm that came with them. Here are a few examples that demonstrate just how much is being done.

Neil Ashbaugh, training and talent development specialist with Oberg Industries responded: “We here in Western Pennsylvania have worked hard over the past several years setting up a variety of collaborations between manufacturers, education, and government agencies to support STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) activities and promote and build a positive awareness not only of the needs of industry for talented workers, but the financial benefits to those people who join our companies.” (www.obergmedical.com)

A professor of bioengineering at the University of Pittsburgh describes a new master-level program in medical product development. Alan Hirschman, who spent 30 years in medical device development at Medrad, says the program’s goal is to educate the next generation of product development engineers, venture investors, and entrepreneurs. He says the program has really taken off in just a little more than two years, driven largely by demand from students hoping to work with clinicians to impact healthcare. (www.engineering.pitt.edu/CMI)

Other responses came in from machine tool builders, cutting tool companies, and medical device OEMs. A few even elicited full-length editorials in response.

One was from Hope Riska, AE operations & training administrator/international logistics specialist at Productivity Inc., who wrote to talk about the machine tool side of helping.

“As a machine tool distributor, we work with many machine tool builders. Haas Automation, in particular, has continually gone the extra mile in their support of manufacturing education – from the Haas Technical Education Centers Network (HTEC), offering educators across the country, and even throughout the world, the opportunity to network with each other and possibly discover new ways they can improve, continue, or start manufacturing programs in their schools. We, as a local distributor, work with schools in our area – Minnesota, North and South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and Western Wisconsin – to provide them with Haas educational discounts for machinery in the schools, as well as supporting them and encouraging their programs. We are co-hosting this year’s National HTEC Conference at, and with, Dunwoody College of Technology in July 2014.”

Riska adds that Productivity Inc. also supports STEM.

“Every other year we hold our Oktoberfest Machine Tool Show, with the first day dedicated only to education. We invite middle through post-secondary schools to come see the latest manufacturing technology under one roof. They have the opportunity to see many different machines and witness first-hand what these machines can do and how manufacturing impacts lives – from medical devices that save lives, to automotive innovation as well as robotics and automation.

“In 2011, we hosted… more than 900 students and teachers – plus, we invited our (industry) customers to set up a table and showcase what they do.

“At this past Oktoberfest Student Career Day [2013], we hosted more than 1,100 students and teachers [and had] 14 local manufacturing companies participate.

“Everyone seems to have all of the latest devices – iPads, iPhones, smartphones, etc… but where did they come from? Someone had to imagine it, someone had to design it, someone had to build it and have it ready to sell... then, and only then, do these things end up in your hands.

“As an industry, we not only have an opportunity, but also a responsibility to do what we can to encourage today’s youth to pursue careers in manufacturing. If we don’t get industry and education working together to excite this generation about manufacturing, who is going to encourage the generations to come?” (www.productivity.com)

Well said, to all of the above. Let’s keep the conversation going by letting us know about any innovative or interesting programs that can prepare the next-generation for the manufacturing jobs of the future.