More Advanced Manufacturing Courses Offered in Fall Semester

Yuba College, Sacramento City College and Sierra College have added CNC manufacturing courses to their class schedules for fall semester starting in late August. Register now as some classes are starting next week.

Yuba College - Manufacturing Technology

Sacramento City College -- Fundamentals of CNC

Sierra College -- Advanced Manufacturing 

Summer Educator Program Growing

With the Sacramento Valley Manufacturers Initiative (SVMI), Education to Manufacturing supported the summer professional development for educators in Advanced Manufacturing, explained Mike Bell, Regional Director, Employer Engagement, Advanced Manufacturing (Edu2Mfg), North Region. "The training program grew in 2019 from nine to 21 schools, a 122% increase," said Bell. "Participants increased 140% from 10 in 2018 to 24 in 2019. Also, the training reached more districts, expanding from four to 10 high school and college districts." In addition to high school instructors, the program expanded to include community college instructors. 

John Fuller, Engineering Teacher, Roseville High School attended multiple CNC and welding sessions. "The training was well structured and gave me ample time to get hands-on practice with the machines and equipment," said Fuller. "By providing my students with tangible, hands-on projects in CNC machining, I am hoping this will spark interest and passion in our students so they choose a path in manufacturing or any STEM field."

The topics of the nine training sessions included: CNC Mill, Lathe and Maintenance; CNC Plasma and Waterjet; Manual Mill and Lathe; MIG and TIG Welding; Metallurgy; Metrology; Reading Drawings and Shop Math, according to Bell. "The number of trainers grew this year from four to 10," said Bell. "Four of the trainers were from industry and the others were college and high school teachers."

CNC Machining Apprenticeship Project Growing

What began as an industry led, CNC pre-apprenticeship program in late 2018 has now evolved into a for-credit course. The Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative (SVMI), and other partners were instrumental in developing the training to meet the needs of local businesses and to introduce prospective employees to the industry. The first cohort of the summer session will complete the class with an opportunity for employment and will receive college credit that can be applied toward a future certificate or degree. Every participant who wants to start a career as a CNC machinist is given an opportunity to be hired by a sponsoring company. The next phase of the apprenticeship project is to fully integrate the apprenticeship programs into the college courses. To learn more, contact Mike Bell at 916-432-0741 or email mike@edu2mfg.org.

3D Printers Installed at Local Schools

To inspire students to create projects and develop skills that can lead to manufacturing careers, nine Ultimaker (Model 3) 3D printers were distributed by Education to Manufacturing to local schools and community organizations, explained Mike Bell. "We sought out programs that would use the 3D printer to engage students in learning design and 3D modeling skills in a fun and innovative way," said Bell. The recipients included Seven Hills Middle School in Nevada City, Koinonia Homes for Teens Tech Classroom in Loomis, Martin Luther King Tech Academy in Sacramento, GreenTech™ Education & Employment in Sacramento, and Tri-County ROP Sutter County Adult Education in Yuba City. A training and orientation session was hosted at Sierra College at the beginning of summer.

Regional Industry Advisory Meetings Findings

In collaboration with the Advanced Manufacturing (Edu2Mfg), North Region, Valley Vision coordinated and hosted a series of industry advisory meetings. The resulting report will be posted online at the Valley Vision website. SVMI members and educators contributed to the project by attending meetings held at Sacramento City College, Sierra College and Folsom Lake College's El Dorado center. Bell and SVMI members also attended the regional meeting in Nevada County hosted by the Nevada County Tech Connection. 

Advanced Manufacturing Partners Mapped Online 

As part of the Advanced Manufacturing program for the North region efforts to connect those interested in preparing the local workforce, a beta version of the Edu2Mfg website is under development. The website will include a database and this draft map of educational and industry resources that is currently being developed.

The goal of this California Community College Chancellor's Office supported program, housed at Sierra College, is to make it easier for educators, industry partners and students to interact, connect, provide mentoring, find interns and develop education programs for existing employees and students. 

Time to Plan for October Manufacturing Month

The SVMI Education committee is working with schools and businesses to arrange special events during October Manufacturing month. Successful activities in the past have included industry speakers coming to classrooms and field trips to local manufacturers. To volunteer or request an event, contact Mike Bell at 916-432-0741 or email mike@edu2mfg.org.