Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the pace of technological change? For many adults, especially the older generations, it sometimes seems like there are several new technologies taking the world by storm for every one they’ve finally had time to master.
Take artificial intelligence, for example. Does anyone else feel like AI was something that only existed in the movies until a couple of years ago? Now it’s all you hear about. AI seems to have infiltrated every aspect of our lives, from the images we see on social media to the smartphones we carry around 24/7/365.
AI and similar advanced automation technologies are not only transforming our daily personal lives, they’re also radically changing the way we work. Today’s workers across a wide variety of industries need more advanced skills than ever before.
However, those same workers, especially in areas like manufacturing, also need the kinds of hands-on skills you don’t learn at a four-year college. Perhaps that’s why more and more schools are embracing teaching the hands-on skills that were forsaken for decades when going to college was seen as the more worthwhile goal.
According to an article in The Wall Street Journal by Te-Ping Chen, “[s]chool districts around the U.S. are spending tens of millions of dollars to expand and revamp high-school shop classes for the 21st century. They are betting on the future of manual skills overlooked in the digital age, offering vocational-education classes that school officials say give students a broader view of career prospects with or without college.”
For example, at Middleton High School in Wisconsin, “[t]he school’s shop classes, for years tucked away in a back corridor, are now on display. Fishbowl-style glass walls show off the new manufacturing lab, equipped with computer-controlled machine tools and robotic arms.”
The renewed focus on career and technical education (CTE) is paying off, as these new classes are seeing a great deal of interest from students who now see opportunities in the trades in a new light.
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction education consultant Jake Mihm has seen the changes taking place firsthand: “There’s a paradigm shift happening. They’re high-skill, high-wage jobs that are attractive to people because they’re hands-on, and heads-on.”
Since the 1980s, high school CTE programs “have lost enrollment, pushed aside by demand for college-prep courses.” Overemphasis on standardized test results and the ensuing focus on raising academic standards led many schools to cut or abandon arts and CTE programs.
Over the course of the past decade, however, rising college costs (and the resulting student loan debt that comes with them) coupled with an increasing number of college graduates not finding work upon graduation have led to a “[r]enewed interest among local governments, school districts, businesses and voters” in programs that teach hands-on skills that prepare students for lucrative jobs in industry.
Revitalizing a CTE program isn’t without its challenges. Chen points out that “[o]ne hurdle is cost. Vocational education is generally more expensive than math or English classes.” Also, finding qualified instructors isn’t easy when working in industry pays much better than teaching those skills in school.
That’s why some states are stepping in to help fill the gap. For example, Chen notes that “Ohio and other states offer schools financial incentives for classes that lead to industry certifications in such high-demand jobs as pharmaceutical technician and pipe fitter.”
It can also help to partner with an industry expert in technical education. Whether it’s starting from zero or looking to build upon a variety of pieces already in place, Amatrol can help a school craft a custom CTE program based upon its groundbreaking IGNITE: Mastering Manufacturing program.
With more than 40 years of experience designing and manufacturing state-of-the-art training systems, Amatrol remains the world’s leader in skills-based, interactive technical learning for industry and education. IGNITE is a foundational skill development program designed to stimulate student interest in today’s industrial careers.
Amatrol developed IGNITE: Mastering Manufacturing to be a comprehensive advanced manufacturing training program that both provides career exploration opportunities and equips high school students with the in-depth knowledge and hands-on skills they need to be successful in the highly-skilled, high-pay jobs available in advanced manufacturing.
The IGNITE program exposes students to the many different facets of modern advanced manufacturing. Instructors can also guide the experience to spark student interest in specific subject matter areas.
In addition to hands-on technical skills in a wide variety of disciplines found throughout manufacturing, the IGNITE program also teaches students the valuable, uniquely-human “soft skills” (also commonly called “common employability skills” or “CES”), such as communication, teamwork, and critical thinking, that are critical to future career success.
Importantly, IGNITE also prepares students to earn industry-standard certifications that can jump-start their advanced manufacturing careers. For example, IGNITE students can choose to pursue certifications like the MSSC Certified Production Technician Plus Skill Boss certification or advanced Industry 4.0 certifications from SACA.
Consult with an expert at Amatrol today to learn how you can take the first step toward teaching your students or current workers the skills that will set them up for success in the modern workplace.
About Duane Bolin
Duane Bolin is a former curriculum developer and education specialist. He is currently a Marketing Content Developer in the technical training solutions market.
