Oklahoma City’s Francis Tuttle Technology Center is a PRIME school that offers, among other choices, Manufacturing and STEM career pathways.
dozen of its exemplary students. The program provides long- term, progress-based instruction for students seeking career or technical training. The Center educates both high school and adult students in one location, with the high schools students taking class part-time (tuition free.) Programs are broken out by career pathways, and the two most relevant to our industry are Manufacturing and STEM. Manufacturing includes instruction on Advanced Manufacturing, Precision Machining/CNC and Welding technologies. Students are self-motivated to succeed. One student has already started his own business consulting on the implementation of RFID technology. The STEM career paths include a Biosciences & Medicine Academy and a Pre-Engineering Academy. Unfortunately these programs alone are not enough. Schools can provide a technical environment with labs and hands-on training in machine shops, but if we don’t encour- age young people to enroll, these programs and schools will close due to low enrollment. It is proven that kids are primarily influenced by parents and teachers—the very same folks who have an outdated image of manufacturing. Less influential but still another source of career information for students are career counselors—who are even less knowledgeable about our industry. Career counselors used to be a resource for students
as students considered future schooling and/or employment options. But with their ever increasing workloads dealing with changing requirements and paperwork, increasing numbers of students, behavioral and socioeconomic issues and numerous other roadblocks, counselors can’t provide much support. Add to that their limited concept of what a manufacturing career can offer and it’s no wonder fewer kids are coming our way. Many years ago I stated to friends and coworkers that this country needed a TV program to change the misperceptions of today’s manufacturing in this country. “How It’s Made” is a great program, but only addresses those of us already in the manufacturing sector. It isn’t something that would inspire a young person to enter our field. The industry has moved toward high-technology automated processes implemented in a safe, clean environment that have driven the US to be the most productive, efficient economy in the world. These pro- cesses require highly skilled people to implement, program, manage and innovate going forward. These are the careers that are screaming for applicants, these are the positions we need to fill.
A little over a year ago I met Jeremy Bout, owner and producer of Edge Factor (www.edgefactor.com). We share the vision for improving the image of manufacturing but he