When opportunity knocks, what do you do? You answer it, of course. Well, opportunity is knocking in the form of a National Science Foundation (NSF) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) grant awarded to Yavapai College’s Career and Technical Education Campus (CTEC) programs. The NSF grant will help fund internship programs for 10 students actively enrolled in the following programs: Computer Numerical Control, Electronics & Instrumentation, Applied Pre-Engineering, and Integrated Systems Engineering.
The grant provides for paid internships with companies in the related fields of the programs that support those areas. Currently, the grant will pay $10 per hour for 16 hours per week, when a student is enrolled and participating in one of the four targeted programs.
Yavapai College’s Career & Technical Campus has had success in engaging young girls in STEM activities. Past efforts of success include reaching out to middle school teachers, students and parents for a free Summer Robotics camp, of which 50 percent of the students where female. CTEC has also conducted a weeklong GEEK: Girls Exploring Engineering Kamp for girls ages eight to 12, as part of YC’s College for Kids. These activities were held at the CTEC campus and also on the Verde Valley campus in Clarksdale.
Quotes from some of our partner companies have set the tone and the need for these STEM programs. “Yavapai College has been providing career and technical education that includes training and certification in robotics, CNC and electronics as part of the Applied Pre-Engineering program since 2011. These courses are needed by the advanced manufacturing workforce and have provided import job-related skills. The new course being proposed and, most importantly, the integration of learning across manufacturing systems will make a significant difference in the quality of technician train provided. Engineering technicians trained in the Yavapai College Integrated Systems Engineering Technician program will have a higher level of knowledge that will prepare them to respond to the challenges that exist in a modern manufacturing enterprise.”
A short overview and key outcomes of the programs covered under the grant are:
The CNC Machining Certificate is designed to prepare students for entry-level CNC machining and programming positions. The program offers a series of skill-building courses in CNC machining and CAM programming for the individual desiring full-time employment in the CNC manufacturing industry. Students learn to program and operate a CNC mill and lathe, design a product for CNC machining, reverse engineer a product for 3D replication and safely utilize machine shop equipment.
The Electrical & Instrumentation Technology degree is designed to prepare students for positions in the installation, repair and maintenance of commercial electrical and electronic equipment. Students learn to build, test, analyze and troubleshoot direct and alternating current circuits, microprocessor and programmable controller-based circuits, motor and motor control circuits, design and fabricate and install safe electrical conduits and raceways.
The Associate of Applied Science Degree in Applied Pre-Engineering is designed to provide students with a working knowledge of engineering concepts. These concepts include: Articulate basic mathematical, scientific and applicable engineering principles, model and solve problems using electronics, robotics and precision manufacturing principles, utilize modern manufacturing techniques, skills and tools necessary to design, develop, implement, and improve integrated systems that include people, materials, information, equipment and energy, and work effectively as members or leaders of a team to accomplish an objective.
The Integrated Systems Engineering Technician certificate prepares individuals to apply basic engineering principles and technical skills to the identification and resolution of production problems in the manufacture of products. Includes machine operations, production line operations, robotics, system integration, computer-aided drafting (CAD), and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM). In addition to the CNC outcomes, the student will learn to utilize a computer language to program a robot in a robotic-based work cell capable of performing repetitive tasks, create 2D sketches in SolidWorks, and utilize geometric relations to display and modify parametric relations, create drawing layouts from solid models and demonstrate the assembly modeling methodology to place parts using SolidWorks SmartMates. They will also identify different types of manufacturing processes from engineering to product shipment, interpret documentation of products and processes using Statistical Process Control, ISO 9000 and Total Quality Control. QCBN
By Jim Voska
For information on enrollment or questions, please contact Max Bledsoe, academic advisor for CTEC at 928-717-2080.
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