staff. The school has been recognized by SME for having the best machine shop in the Chicago area and perhaps the nation. At East Leyden, SME helped the program reach out to local in- dustry to help provide materials and tooling equipment. In one instance, SME members stepped in to repair a broken bandsaw for the school. In suburban Skokie, Niles North’s strong STEM curriculum is already in place, drawing SME’s support although their shop is not able to cut metal. Iossi would like to create a friendly competitive market between schools, with projects and competitions judged by his SME chapter.
As word-of-mouth spreads, other interested communities are contacting SME. The SME chapter in Waterloo, IA, and their school district recently visited the Chicago area for ideas to help expand their three high schools’ programs.
Nearly 95% of active student members in NIU’s chapter secured internships, many from local businesses. Manufac- turing companies are enthusiastic about the opportunity to fill intern positions with local students. Many of the companies eventually hire their interns as full-time employees, including Palazzolo. He is currently a Manufacturing Engineer for Cater- pillar, Inc. in the Integrated Manufacturing Operations Division working on medium and large wheel loader structures. “The outcome was so much better than I had ever imag- ined,” Palazzolo said. “And when companies give experi- ence and educational support to students it leads to further advancement of the industry in general.” American businesses are eager to offer interested students
internship opportunities which may lead to full-employment immediately after graduating college. Hiring the interns they’ve trained saves both time and money for employers and eases the transition for new employees. In addition, local hiring keeps relocation costs low for new employees and fosters a deeper connection between industry and the local area. The ability to keep manufacturing jobs in the United States hinges on solving the skilled labor shortage as well as changing the perception that there is an absence of industry careers here at home. “It’s really rewarding,” Iossi said. “Awareness brings atten-
Daley College, one of seven two-year City Colleges of Chi- cago, operates more independently from the organization but benefits from the connection with a long-time SME member. After only six months in the Associate Degree in Manufactur- ing program, Andre Morgan, 27, has already accepted a job offer that will allow him to continue school as well. “I wasn’t expecting to get job offers in something I’m pur- suing as a career so soon,” said Morgan. SME Chicago No. 5 is also involved at the four-year college
level in the region, working with Northern Illinois University in De Kalb. Initially, NIU applied for a grant from SME-EF. The founda- tion connected the school with its senior members who helped design grants and led to the founding of a new SME student chapter. The senior chapter members host a speaking series fo- cused on topics ranging from robotic applications to manufactur- ing processes. After graduation, founding member and student chairman Salvatore Palazzolo was added to the SME Chicago No. 5 Board as the new liaison between all participating schools and SME, providing a bridge between the student chapters and eventual membership in a senior professional SME chapter.
tion. We can make strong industry connections between com- panies and schools and get people communicating and working together. It’s the perfect way to fulfill our mission at SME.” Currently, SME Chicago No. 5's vision includes add- ing five new schools and two new colleges per year to the program. The board assigns a current senior member, ideally an alumna from a local manufacturing company, to advise and become a part of each new school’s educational network. Iossi’s plans also include starting a job posting section for stu- dents on the SME website, where businesses and professional members can attract interested applicants, thereby forging industry connections between the schools and manufactur- ing companies. As each local board reflects the culture of the area, Iossi passionately believes that SME member involve- ment is needed for success. ME
Cheryl Balaban
Freelance Education and Technology Writer Chicago, IL
July 2013 |
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