Instructor Profile: Scott Weiler

Have you heard the news? American manufacturing is back! And when it comes to new high-tech manufacturing facilities, Arizona is the place to be. Here’s just a sample of the facilities in Arizona that are under construction or have been announced:

• Intel’s semiconductor plants in Chandler
• Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC)’s computer chip manufacturing facility in Phoenix
• Corning’s optical cable manufacturing facility in Gilbert
• American Battery Factory (ABF)’s lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cell gigafactory in Tucson
• EMD Electronics’ equipment factory in Chandler

These are just a few of the dozens of new facilities that have been announced for Arizona within the past couple of years. What do they all have in common? They will all need highly skilled workers to fill the thousands of open manufacturing positions that will be available.

That’s where local heroes like Scott Weiler save the day. Weiler is an instructor at Pima JTED, “a public Career and Technical Education District which works with business and industry and 14 member public school districts to provide premier CTE programs to approximately 22,000 sophomore, junior, and senior level high school students each year.”

It’s no wonder that employers want to do business in Arizona when organizations like Pima JTED “offer rigorous, relevant, hands-on Career & Technical Education pathways that are also fun and engaging.” According to the Pima JTED website, “research shows that [its] Career & Technical Education programs are proven to help students:

• Be more successful in high school, as well as in post-secondary education and [their] chosen career.
• Earn industry certifications and state licenses that lead to direct employment.
• Gain real-world experience, leadership skills, and be able to earn dual college credit.
• Find [their] passion, whether it’s for the industrial trades, health care, technology, or maybe as a first responder.”

Weiler leads Pima JTED’s Robotics and Manufacturing Program. Students studying robotics and manufacturing learn to “[a]pply the principles of robotics, design, operational testing, system maintenance, repair procedures, robot computer systems, and control languages.” They also “[l]earn to use basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of engineers and other professionals engaged in developing and using robots and automation control systems.”

Weiler notes that the Robotics and Manufacturing Program has a dual purpose. First, it excels at “getting students ready for careers right after graduation.” Such careers could “obviously include robotics and automation in the manufacturing setting, but students learn enough about programming, electrical, and measurement to be well suited to a variety of industries.”

For those students wanting to pursue further education, Weiler’s program also shines at “preparing them for college programs to be successful.” College options could include studying Industrial Robotics at a local community college or going on to a university to study engineering and robotics.

Weiler uses Amatrol’s eLearning curriculum and a variety of Amatrol hands-on trainers in his classroom. What’s a typical day in his classroom like? According to Weiler:

“Students are broken up into small groups and assigned to various stations. The stations include Amatrol’s Applied Electronics, AC/DC, Sensors, Pneumatics, and Precision Measurement. The students work on the lessons independently using the Amatrol LMS system and then submitting the work via Classroom.”

Weiler likes that Amatrol’s equipment “allows for playful inquiry. It is well built and safe so the students can see how things work and try new ideas. They don’t always need their hand held.” Weiler says that “[s]tudents respond best to hands-on and interactive lessons.”

It’s not only the students that respond well to Amatrol’s unique combination of hands-on workstations and eLearning curriculum. Weiler says, “Our industry partners really respond to the lab stations, particularly measurement and electrical. They are skills that employees don’t come in with enough knowledge about. It makes my industry partners really excited to know they have good potential employees. And students love to know they have skills that really translate into making money after they graduate.”

Weiler’s Robotics and Manufacturing Program through Pima JTED has fostered partnerships with a variety of local industries, including the Southern Arizona Manufacturing Partners, Leonardo Electronics, Johns Mansfeld, and The Specialists. Students have the chance to earn internships with many of these organizations.

For example, check out this video of Pima JTED student Cory New discussing his Industrial Tool and Die Engineering internship:

It’s clear that Cory is on the path to a great career. Thanks to instructors like Scott Weiler and programs like Pima JTED’s Robotics and Manufacturing, the future of manufacturing in Arizona looks brighter than ever! To learn more about how Amatrol can help you inspire and train the next generation of workers, contact an expert at Amatrol today!

 

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.