An overview of the project, "The State of Manufacturing Workforce Development in the Rust Belt and Rural America."
February 2022: Granted Vernot-Jonas Fellowship by the National Cathedral School Global Programs.
Received over $1,600 in funding to complete study outlined in six-page proposal.
June 5th - 6th 2022: Automate 2022, Detroit, Michigan
Automate 2022 is the largest trade show for automated technologies in North America.
Asked corporate representatives for their outlook on effect of automated technologies on manufacturing workforce and comment on importance of youth engagement in manufacturing.
Booths visited:
Corporation | Location |
JR Automation | Holland, MI |
MichiganFlexIV | Santa Clara, CA |
FANUC | Rochester Hills, MI |
Michigan Aventics | Lexington, KY |
Nidec | Cleveland, OH |
Motus Labs | Dallas, TX |
YRG Robotics | Fort Wayne, IN |
Custom Machine & Tool | Hanover, MA |
Attended Panel Discussion: The Workforce Crisis – Strategies for Cultivating Talent
Mike Cicco, President and CEO @ FANUC America
Bill Beistline, Vice President @ Flex-N-Gate
Bryan Albrecht, President @ Gateway Technical College
Michael Chichester, Jr., Co-Chair @ Robotics, AI, and Automation Practice Group
July - August 2022: Background Online Research on Educational Institutions in Rural America
Institution | Location |
Westomoreland County Community College | Youngwood, PA |
Center for Occupational Research and Development | Waco, TX |
Northwest Michigan Works! | Cadillac, MI |
Patrick & Henry Community College | Martinsville, VA |
North Central State College | Mansfield, OH |
July - September 2022: 7 Interviews
August 3rd, 2022: Dr. Bryan Albrecht, President and CEO of Gateway Technical College
Gateway Technical College serves two urban counties (Racine County and Kenosha County) and one rural county (Walworth County). Nearby specialized industries are reflected in Gateway's breadth of manufacturing coursework.
August 8th, 2022: Mrs. Gayle Manchin, Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission
Mrs. Manchin, a lifelong educator and former First Lady of West Virginia, leads the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), a partnership between the federal government and 13 state governments working to solidify the economic ecosystems of 423 counties in the Appalachian region.
July 18th, 2022: Hannah Rodriguez, Program Officer at Manistee County Community Foundation in Manistee, Michigan
The Launch Manistee Network is a partnership of local businesses, childcare centers, college access networks, youth councils, and community colleges that guides Manistee residents from early childhood education to adult post-secondary education.
July 29th, 2022: Nico Thomas, Economist at NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership
The Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) works with small- to medium-sized manufacturers to maximize their production efficiencies, competitiveness, and employee recruitment and retention.
August 30th, 2022: Craig McAtee, CEO of the National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC)
The National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers (NCATC) is a non-profit organization formed by IBM and Lucent Technologies 35 years ago, connects community colleges to over 50 major industry partners.
September 1st, 2022: Michael Minter, Director of Career Academy in Martinsville, Virginia
The Career Academy is a vocational school that serves Magna Vista High School and Bassett High School. Students receive instruction in career fields such as cybersecurity, agriculture, and veterinary sciences, at the Career Academy facility.
September 2nd, 2022: Bill Donohue, Executive Director of GENEDGE
GENEDGE is the Virginia state center of the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). It helps manufacturing, technology, and engineering companies remain competitive by consulting them on technological trends and workforce retention.
September 10th, 2022: Trip to Martinsville, Virginia
City in southwest Virginia, population of just over 12,500. Visited 1,000-acre industrial park that houses the manufacturing facilities of corporations in the food production, high-performance films, and textiles sectors.
Took pictures of various facilities, observed the Martinsville’s city layout, and visited the Career Academy.
September 12th, 2022: International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2022
IMTS is the largest and oldest trade show for manufacturing in the Western Hemisphere.
Visited the SmartForce show floor, which was catered to youth attendees, to analyze how major corporations are trying to pitch manufacturing to middle school and high school students.
Inquired corporate representatives about the curriculums, manufacturing training initiatives, and youth outreach that their companies had created and performed.
Booths visited:
Corporation | Location |
ABB, Ltd. | Cary, NC |
Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute | Pittsburgh, PA |
America Makes | Youngstown, OH |
Autodesk Education | San Rafael, CA |
FANUC | Rochester Hills, MI |
Festo-Didactic Inc. | Eatontown, NJ |
Gennflex | Wheeling, IL |
Haas Automation | Oxnard, CA |
Mastercam | Tolland, CT |
NASA | Washington, D.C. |
SMS Corporation of America | Noblesville, IN |
Tooling U-SME | Cleveland, OH |
Yaskawa America | Waukegan, IL |
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