Phoenix-area center and highschool college students lately explored the world of producing throughout an occasion at Arizona State University’s Polytechnic campus.
The results of a collaboration between Access ASU, ASU Career Services, Arizona Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Arizona Department of Education, Manufacturing Day occurred on Halloween this 12 months and featured high-tech robots, but it was removed from a scary expertise for student attendees.
“You are out at the best campus for manufacturing right now because we have a brand-new, state-of-the-art manufacturing building,” stated Martine Garcia, assistant director of strategic initiatives for ASU Career Services, to the gathered group of scholars. “You’re going to see some cool things like robots and electric vehicles that are being built by our college students.”
“We’re not just going to talk to you all day, you’re going to get to play with things, you’re going to get to build things,” he stated. “You’re going to get to touch some cool machinery. And, you’re going to learn about different ASU programs, and beyond that, are going to … discover what you can do with a manufacturing career.”
Enzo Muggler, a junior engineering robotics student at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, together with sophomore electrical engineering student Jeffrey Zheng, attended Manufacturing Day with their student group to share their ardour for robotics.
“We’re tabling for a student organization, Rossum Rumblers Robotics. We compete in two competitions, we do combat robotics and we do VEX robotics,” Muggler stated. “For the students interested in engineering, we talk about what we do and how VEX is a great program for learning about CAD, software and collaboration in general, which the companies here really like to see on your resume. Having hands-on experience is super important for the industry. We show students what engineering is capable of and what they can be capable of.”
The occasion additionally gave center and highschool college students the prospect to:
- Explore profession pathways in manufacturing, engineering and know-how.
- Meet trade professionals and learn the way they obtained began in their careers.
- Get hands-on expertise with demonstrations and actions that present how manufacturing combines science, design and problem-solving.
- Discover diploma applications and pathways at ASU and Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering that may assist them launch their future in this fast-growing area.
Austin Hazekamp, account supervisor for Foam Packaging Solutions, stated it was rewarding to speak to the youth concerning the prospects for his or her future careers, each at the Polytechnic Manufacturing Day and the West Valley campus occasion that occurred the earlier week.
“It was very cool being able to see the students’ eyes light up with all the different ideas they have for how they want to make the manufacturing process,” he said. “To be able to show them a path forward on that is very satisfying.”
Binil Starly, director and professor in the School of Manufacturing Systems and Networks, took the student crowd on a tour of the newly opened ISTB12 building, the place ASU college students work on complicated manufacturing tasks and take interdisciplinary science programs.
“Everything around us is manufactured. Think about it,” Starly stated. “Your chair, your jewelry, your earphones, your phone, your costumes, your watch, the carpet, the chandelier, everything is manufactured. There are engineers, there are technicians, there are all kinds of people that are involved in making everything that you see around us.”
Trish Bawn, interim dean of scholars for the Polytechnic campus, spoke with the scholars about why the campus in the East Valley is the best place to discover a producing profession.
“It’s actually really prestigious to be attending a Polytechnic campus like ours because we have advanced degrees that are very highly technical and scientific,” Bawn stated. “Those STEM levels, that is right here. Getting accepted and coming right here to finish your diploma is totally an accomplishment, and one everybody feels proud about. “
Echoing her sentiment, Vanessa Fonseca-Chávez, assistant vice provost for the Polytechnic campus, stated that she hoped that the day’s programming impressed college students towards a producing profession path.
When she requested the student viewers what they wished to do for his or her future careers, college students shouted out careers like: technician, scientific engineer, robotics engineer and manufacturing engineer.
“Manufacturing is one of the top job opportunities in Arizona for the future; what you’ve experienced today is the future of Arizona,” Fonseca-Chávez advised the gang. “Keep thinking about the skills that you bring to the table. Keep thinking about ways to keep educating yourself in that way. What kind of early college prep programs can you apply to, what high school opportunities are there?
“There’s lots of different pathways to get where you want to go; the Polytechnic campus is just one of those.”