Page 8 - Partnership BP_1310308

Additionally, an industry partner might teach new topics as a guest lecturer. Although cur- riculum may be a focal point of Industry Advisory Boards and committees, members are called on to participate in recruitment events, host plant tours, arrange student work expe- rience and other activities. Advisory board participation provides opportunities for industry members, educators and students to build strong, sustainable and powerful partnerships to support and increase student success. Industry Demo Projects/Facility Loan Industry demonstration projects offer opportunities to involve students in the world of modern manufacturing in a hands-on, real-life context. Bring the students to a facility and solve a real-world problem with them. By opening up their manufacturing facilities either for tours, camps or workshops, manufacturing industry partners can provide schools with the opportunity for on-site learning, allowing students to be fully immersed in the manu- facturing world. Funding/Access to Equipment Industry partners can provide financial assistance and/or equipment to schools that teachers and students would otherwise be unable to utilize. Technical schools just don’t have the fiscal capability to stay abreast of the continuously evolving and changing technology now found in manufacturing facilities. Through funding and making equipment available to schools via donations, industry can provide students with the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the high tech machin- ery necessary for many manufacturing careers. By also teaching a couple of sessions on the equipment, industry partners can ensure that students get the basic training and experience they need for a good start in a new job. This could be accomplished on-site, at a training facili- ty, or at the school. Adjunct Faculty/On-site Courses Industry experts possess current, specialized knowledge and skills which make them in- valuable assets as adjunct faculty members for many college technical programs. Stu- dents connect well with instructors who have hands-on, grass roots experience in their subject area. One bonus for adjunct faculty instructors is that they get to really know po- tential candidates for their own workforce during the extended period of the course. Hold- ing classes on-site at an industry partner’s manufacturing facility can also provide oppor- tunities to expose students to the exciting world of manufacturing. Tours and Talks A national poll of teenagers conducted by Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT) and the Foundation of the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association (FMA) revealed that 61 per- cent of teens have never set foot in a factory or other type of manufacturing facility. This is unfortunate as industry tours have proven to be a very effective way to expose students to manufacturing. Tours also emphasize the importance of STEM and its connections to manufacturing. Industry guest speakers in school are also very valuable in addition or as an alternative to tours (if tour logistics cannot be worked out). 8