Nothing like hands on experience to make an electromechanical device that obeys your commands to develop student interest in making things.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gP1NjaLzDkM]

At Lakeland Community College the Alliance for Working Together (AWT) Consortium, a local initiative addressing manufacturing needs and concerns, is full steam ahead as it launches an associate of applied science certificate/degree program. The goal of this program is to provide a pipeline of skilled workers to the manufacturing sector.

The Alliance for Working Together (AWT) Consortium  supports Lakeland Community College’s efforts  to support the manufacturing community with a degree program to educate future employees.  Last weekend, Lakeland sponsored a robotics competition for local high school students, who designed, built and operated robots for competition.

Our industry's future talent.

We were pleased to see the interest in making things, the widespread use of PPE and a team whose Tshirts said it all:

Madison Robotics- T-shirts say it all!

In addition to the associate of applied science degree, an educational and career pathway has also been developed by AWT and Lakeland. The degree will require at least 63 credits and be aligned with curriculum supported by the National Association of Manufacturers’ industry standards and skills certification system.

Manufacturing is vital to the economy of Northeast Ohio, the state, and in fact our nation’s economic competitiveness. We are pleased to see the pipeline for manufacturing talent being primed by AWT, Lakeland Community College, and the local manufacturers who sponsored the student robotics teams. Over 100 students from  18 high schools in three counties got to test their ‘mettle’ at this second annual Robobot competition.

The talent pipeline is looking pretty good!

Local news coverage and video here:

News Herald Robobots

Northeastern Ohio’s  Lakeland Community College held a double elimination battlebot competition Saturday, April 31.
PMPA Members  Criterion Tool, Fischer Special Tooling, and Technical Equipment  Company were PMPA member companies sponsoring at the event.

News Herald photo captures the excitement of making things!

Ten  Northeast Ohio high schools fielded teams that built, (REPAIRED!) and battled their robots in the competition.
Twenty-four percent (24%) of employment in Lake County is related to manufacturing.
Competitions like this one help students  develop skills and understanding that will serve them well in all areas of life. Planning, designing, making, solving problems, fixing, redesigning…
While most parents today think of manufacturing  like it was in the  smokestack days of their parents, the students at Saturday’s competition learned that it’s not about punching a time clock or shirking work- its about being part of a team that comes together to design create, and operate real things. We’re pleased that PMPA members are helping a new generation find the joys of manufacturing. Of how it feels to be one of the People Who Make Things
Manufacturing is a vital part of the economy in Lake County and the state of Ohio.
And for 10 teams of high schoolers, its a vital part of understanding a bright future  for themselves.
Thanks to Criterion Tool, Fischer Special Tooling,  Technical Equipment Company, Lakeland College, and all the other sponsors that came together to give these high school students a chance to feel for themselves the joys of manufacturing- building a product, and watching it perform.
Congratulations to the team from Lake Catholic who won the Championship.
See a video on the News Herald site here.