Worcester Technical High School’s advanced manufacturing department acquired new equipment and established credentials that aligned with curriculum frameworks with funding from SME PRIME.
Cedar Falls High School (CFHS) has accrued many benefits from the SME Education Foundation’s PRIME (Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education) initiative since being accepted into the program in 2013 that has led the school to become a STEM leader in their region.
Pratt & Whitney, Allendale Machinery Systems/Haas Factory Outlet, and Lloyd’z Motor Workz have partnered with the SME Education Foundation to make available education opportunities for students of Pine Bush High School in Pine Bush, New York.
Rob Luce, vice president of the SME Education Foundation, was featured in a Quality Magazine article about the COVID-19 virus disrupting businesses worldwide and how training employees presents new challenges. Luce weighed in on the struggle within industry to find talent with soft skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
The SME PRIME program at Anna High School prepares students for roles at manufacturing partner Honda of America Manufacturing with online learning manufacturing education courses like basic safety, measurement, robotics and quality control. The online learning is supplemented with hands-on training on precision measurement instruments and a FANUC robotic arm.
PRIME donors receive a pool of skilled talent who have been trained – and often certified – to fill specific roles at their respective manufacturing companies, providing the investors with a direct return on their investment.
Indiana County Technology Center SME PRIME students enrolled in the machining technology program learn important skills like blueprint reading, applied mathematics, safety procedures, and manual skills on milling machines, lathes, surface grinders, benches, grinders and drill presses to be better prepared to enter the workforce.
Pine Bush High School experienced "the highest of highs" after launching their SME PRIME Program. A day later, the school shut down due to the COVID pandemic. The school is making the most of opportunity and using their manufacturing equipment to produce face shields for frontline workers while also continuing to educate students through online courses.
Receiving an SME Education Foundation Family Scholarship in 2018 meant a lot to Emily Redekopp, a mechanical engineering student who’s in her junior year at South Dakota State University. Engineering is in Redekopp’s family — her father is a mechanical engineer. But she has also always had a great interest in STEM subjects, which led her to participate in the FIRST Robotics Competition as a high school student.