Program Turns Youths Toward Wheels Of Industry

Young people who want to get involved in manufacturing will be able to start the wheels turning before graduating from high school in a program being developed by a state advisory group.

Representatives from Spokane area manufacturing companies met with representatives from the Manufacturing Technology Advisory Group at the Spokane Club on Monday.

The companies are looking at a program that teaches students about the manufacturing industry in their junior and senior years of high school. The students will be interns at manufacturing companies during high school, study manufacturing at a community college and then graduate ready to work in the industry.

“We think this is part of managing the future,” said Gary Micheau, human resources manager for Kaiser Aluminum’s Trentwood mill. “A lot of these companies are involved with schools in one way or another. It’s kind of haphazard. We’re bringing it together.”

The advisory group was formed in December 1992 to help Washington develop a manufacturing technology education program, called “Tech Prep.”

The program begins in high school and eventually will lead to an associate degree at a community or technical college.

Several area high schools, such as Ferris, Rogers, Mead and Central Valley, are involved in the pilot program. Community colleges and the program’s skill center also will be involved.

The advisory group is formed of business, education, labor, government and community service representatives from across the state.

The National Science Foundation awarded the group a $429,000 grant to support curriculum development in grade schools and secondary schools and community colleges.

The advisory group surveyed 177 companies statewide and developed 10 core competencies that industry and labor will expect from students entering manufacturing.

Dan VanHoose, who teaches technology to eighth-graders at Garry Middle School, says the program is a smart idea. At the conference, VanHoose demonstrated a robotics-training machine and a wind tunnel that allows students to test their plane wings.

VanHoose pretended he was mission control on the robotics machine, bringing satellites into a space shuttle’s cargo bay.

“The kids just eat it up,” VanHoose said. “This is generating a lot more kids to see what’s going on with learning and other opportunities besides college.”