The FANUC Advanced Automation Challenge 2.0 invites all CERT schools to work with local industry to create problem solutions. This challenge provides students the opportunity to improve their STEM skills and become familiar with the advanced manufacturing industry. 

This challenge encourages students to work with manufacturers to design a solution or solve a problem using FANUC products or an integrated solution with technology from FANUC, Rockwell, Cisco or Lincoln. Students (aka “Tomorrow’s Innovators”) will have the opportunity to test their STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) skills and critical thinking abilities. 

Students will interview a manufacturer to learn about their processes and consider potential opportunities to apply their skills and knowledge. Students will use their school’s robot, CNC, or advanced manufacturing technology to develop/design a workable solution and provide a demonstration.

Creativity is encouraged - students decide how simple or complex their solution is. 

The goal of this open-ended challenge is to change the perception of what todays advanced manufacturers looks like and introduce manufacturers to Tomorrow’s Innovators. This challenge will prepare them for exciting STEM career opportunities, develop their problem-solving skills, and introduce them to real-world advanced manufacturing applications.

Manufacturers need a workforce that is prepared to work in the new, Smart Factories of Industry 4.0. FANUC, together with Rockwell Automation, Cisco Systems, and Lincoln Electric, are committed to supporting education programs that serve the needs of the advanced manufacturing industry.

Awards will include a FANUC Robot, a FANUC CNC Simulator, a Rockwell PLC/HMI package, FANUC Simulation software, and technology from Cisco and Lincoln, representing over $100,000 investment in STEM education programs.

Is your school seeking to attract non-traditional students to STEM-related welding and manufacturing technology programs? Are you struggling to direct students to a skilled trades career path? Here’s a report from The Morning Journal about a recent Careers in STEM event at Lorain County Community College for area high school students presented by the college’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers. The college used a Lincoln Electric VRTEX® virtual reality welding simulator to engage students and let them try their hand at SMAW welding. LEARN MORE. 

Students choose career paths for a variety of reasons. Gender norms are playing less of a factor as students are exposed to technologies (and potential career paths) earlier. What are you doing to encourage students to pursue studies (and careers) in Industrial Technology? We'd love to hear your tips in the comments section!

Are you familiar with the term “data driven manufacturing”? Low cost sensors and the ability to connect them to the internet have made data collection easier than ever before. [U]sing data to reduce costs through next generation sales and operations planning, dramatically improved productivity, supply chain and distribution optimization, and new types of after-sales services. 

​This video goes into greater detail about data driven manufacturing, courtesy of Modern Machine Shop:​

​As manufacturing gets more technical, educators work to stay ahead of the curve by teaching students for 21st century careers. Schools are turning to industry-leading curriculum experts like Amatrol, FANUC, Lincoln Electric and Turbine Technologies to lend real-world credibility to teach advanced manufacturing processes. More than trouble-shooting and problem solving, manufacturers are looking for their next employees (your students) to be able to integrate highly technical skills into an established process to make current processes more efficient and cost-effective.
 
Moss has worked with leading manufacturers for over 40 years. If you’re looking to align your educational tools with local industry needs, contact us for a review. Our Education Specialists will ensure you align your curriculum with what is most relevant to your local industry. 

Further reading:
Data-Driven Manufacturing

Since Lincoln Electric introduced U/LINC, we have fielded many questions about this curriculum. We’re answering the three most common questions here:

1. Who developed U/LINC curriculum? U/LINC was developed with input from a diverse team of welding and education experts. Lincoln Electric tasked 35 independent instructors at high schools, career centers and community colleges around the U.S. with developing specific areas of welding training content. Through expert research and advice from curriculum experts at Texas A&M and the University of Missouri, U/LINC was born. 
2. Is U/LINC a catchy term for an online course in welding? U/LINC was developed because so many instructors were great welders, but had difficulty teaching their craft to students. Welders are the experts; U/LINC is just adding the classroom framework. Focus Areas Include: Classroom Instruction, Laboratory Instruction, and eLearning Modules. Welding is a hands-on subject. Because of this, U/LINC is more than an online class; it is a tool for flipped classrooms, allowing instructors (with field knowledge) to take their instruction further with structured lessons, real world insight, and context questions.
3. Does U/LINC only cover welding, or does it delve into other career opportunities? More than welding, U/LINC shares insight into the following career pathways:

• Manufacturing Engineering
• Automation
• Production Welding

 
As a welding expert, we would like your input – sign up for a 30 day free trial and tell us what you think. Would adding structured curriculum help your program succeed? 

We often talk about the advanced skills positions available in today's manufacturing, but we can't forget about the importance of the fundamentals, the basic skills that employers assume candidates have when they hire. We came across an article in Manufacturing Today that highlights the need for basic assembly skills:

These skills range from welding to assembly to how to use tools effectively. These fundamental skills are as crucial today as they ever have been. Click here to learn what several companies are doing to combat this skills gap, and how Amatrol is providing curriculum and tools to address this need.

The highly-regarded Brookings Institute recently published a compelling article by Senior Fellow, Mark Munro, " The Skills Supply Chain Must Change as Software Eats the World," about the changing face of workforce development. The article illuminates the recent evolution of "digitization," as well as exploring "a variety of training-system responses to the talent needs of industry." 

​The impacts of software exist hand-in-hand with those of hardware, and they are long-term, so they require meaningful consideration by executives, educators and workers. Toyota Engineering and Manufacturing's Dennis Dio Parker addresses Toyota’s interest in having factory floor worker engaged with a particular "'technical core' of professional competencies, including in electronics, robotics controls, circuitry, and digital learning. 'We have to focus in detail on exactly what’s needed in talent coming into the company and whether potential workers have it,' said Parker. 'I will say we are having a difficult time procuring the talent we need because, first, there’s not enough of it now and second, we need that talent to be more talented, with more specific skills.'”

You just hired a new instructor for your welding school with years of skilled trade experience. You know they’ll be a good mentor for your students. But what does he or she know about technical instruction? Has he ever developed curriculum for a year-long program educational program? What will he teach on Day 1? Consider U/LINC™ Curriculum from Lincoln Electric – We have over 1000 lesson plans, student activities, assessments, videos and presentations covering everything from welding safety to welding engineering and everything in between. Let your instructor teach his trade – We’ll do the rest.

​Forbes magazine recently published a compelling article, 3 Ways The Skills Gap Offers Opportunity, about the state and evolution of the workforce for skilled workers. The article aims to dispel the myth that a four-year degree is the optimal path to a prosperous future, reminding readers, for example that, “today around 13 million Americans, many with college degrees, are unemployed, and that does not include those who are underemployed or have given up trying to find work. Yet, nearly five million jobs remain unfilled. Jobs in advanced manufacturing, electrical trades, jobs in healthcare and cyber-security to name just a few.”

The economy needs more skilled workers, who gain mastery through hands-on work and via vocational and technical training. The article further points out how the path of vocational and technical training might best be navigated, and how that path helps people avoid the often immense debt associated with a four-year college degree, while also providing “real world,” industry recognized skills in a hands-on context.

If you teach in an ag classroom, you know your students are as diverse as they come. Students may be drawn to agriculture because of family history or a love of animals, but what they learn in the classroom has the power to transform in ways we haven’t thought of yet. Students who study agriculture go on to careers ranging from biotechnology to machinists and engineers. No other field of study has such broad implications.
 
What do students need to master to be successful in ag-related careers? We’ve developed a list of the essential subject matter for ag students:​​

• Biotechnology – Whether a student pursues plant or animal science, they need to have an understanding of biotechnology .  Biotech has roots in veterinary medicine, pharmaceuticals, plant growth and harvest, immunology, environmental science, bioengineering, nano-technology, and food processing. The job market in ag-biotechnology is increasing and will provide career opportunities for years to come.
• Engineering and Mechanical Maintenance – whether producing or operating on equipment, it is imperative that students can maintain operational tools. Students interested in careers in agriculture often grow up on a farm, assisting with equipment maintenance. Structured training can assist students looking to innovate and/or maintain equipment.
• Welding – In conjunction with engineering and mechanical maintenance, welding is a skill ag students are happy to have mastered. A solid foundation in welding is a versatile skill.

 
What subject matter is a must-have for your agriculture education programs? Let us know in the comment section!
 
Moss can help you enhance your agriculture programs – see our Agriculture Education page for more information. 

​When you hear the word “manufacturing,” what images does it conjure up? If you are like most, you have visions of dirty, unsafe construction floors where people repeat the same function all day long, day after day. If this is what you see, you may need to update your image: manufacturing as cleaner and more high-tech than ever before. And manufacturing is driving the nation’s economy forward. According to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. manufacturing companies added a substantial 29,000 new jobs in January this year alone.
 
Manufacturing jobs are plentiful, but the face of these jobs is changing. Recruiters and hiring managers are looking for candidates with an advanced skill set. These are skills that educators can ensure their students possess before they graduate and join the workforce. Certain skills will ensure students are marketable, and that their skills will allow them to be successful on their first day of a new job.
 
What Employers Want to Share with Educators:

• Manufacturing jobs are going high tech – from robotics to hydraulics and pneumatics to fluid power, today's jobs require knowledge of highly technical concepts.
• Manufacturing Automation is key – from design and 3D printing, lasers and robotics, people are looking for smarter ways to do business as they continually improve processes, which is why…
• Innovators wanted – the manufacturing process is more streamlined than ever before. Employers are looking to empower people with the vision to make the processes safer and more efficient, and that takes critical thinkers.
• Technicians are in rising demand – employers are looking for people who can program, operate, troubleshoot and maintain the technical components of their jobs
• Some skills prove the test of time – welders, machinists, CNC operators, and industrial mechanics have a strong job outlook in the coming years. Though these may not be new skills, the way you teach these skills may affect student retention and performance later.
• Math is more important than ever – from programing to robotics, math skills are applicable to almost every position today. Math proficiency is a highly marketable skill.
• Certifications matter – certifications put students at the head of the pack because they mean students can demonstrate knowledge and proficiency, and suggest students will be more successful on the job with less individual training and coaching.
• Soft Skills are more important today than ever – employers are looking for communicators and problem solvers, in addition to technical skills. Someone who can clearly articulate an idea or concept, and work with the team to problem solve is successful in almost any arena.

 
Get employers to compete for your students. In order to connect your classroom with “real world” learning opportunities, you need to have the proper tools in place. Moss has training and certification tools to ensure your students will be successful during their next phase. These tools are appropriate for both technical high schools and colleges. Contact us today for a no-obligation consultation with an Education Specialist.