Machining.Blog® is a weekly blog focused on manufacturing career development. It features blog articles on the fundamentals of manufacturing for aspiring machinists. Our goal is to create an interest in manufacturing in the USA. Our writer Matthew Schowalter has worked in manufacturing for 24 years, and he covers the topics that matter to someone starting their career in manufacturing.
“The soft skills the machinist uses are the unseen tools in their box and can directly impact the success or failure of a dreamed after machining career.”
All in Soft Skills
I recently had an opportunity to work with the technical education program at Eleva-Strum School District in Wisconsin. The project that I had for the students was to modify a few parts for a mechanical clock. It was an amazing experience to be greeted at the door by a student and the student gave me a great handshake. The technical education class teaches these soft skills to the students, starting in seventh grade.
Cardinal Manufacturing in the Eleva-Strum School District in Wisconsin is a student-run manufacturing business that has repair services, welding services, woodworking services, machining services, design services, and 3D printing services.
Would you like to learn how to create a student run business in your school district? Come join Cardinal Manufacturing instructors, students, industry partners, and school administration as they host a Cardinal Manufacturing, Starting and Growing Your Student Run Business Workshop.
Over the last 5 years, I have been observing the manufacturing industry worker shortage. The drastic change that I have seen over my 24-year career is alarming. While most industries change over time, I believe the changes that are happening to manufacturing are more than that. We are in a worker shortage crisis.
The community support of the technical education program at Eleva Strum High School is impressively large and there are several reasons why. The technical education program operates as a student-run business that fabricates and machines parts for customers. The business is called Cardinal Manufacturing. The money made by the business is used to buy raw materials, upgrade equipment, marketing, cover the operating costs, and to pay the student employees.
I was provided with a few opportunities to talk about my STEM project and my career in several schools. It can be a very rewarding experience to a part of. I never saw myself as a speaker or presenter but with my deep knowledge in the subject, I developed a passion for sharing my experiences in manufacturing.
Machining is by far more interesting than what most people know. From the challenges of implementing new complex equipment in the shop, to CNC programming, or even making complex parts in one setup. It is definitely a career choice that most don’t know how advanced it can be, especially the machining of today. Now, we can make parts in one setup that were once made in many setups on multiple pieces of equipment over a long time frame. My career is a success story in manufacturing technology as I have embraced the technology of today.
Cardinal Manufacturing is a student-run business in the Eleva-Strum High School. In a student-run business the students are responsible for all aspects of the business. It is a custom job shop that makes machined parts for community members and people throughout the country. Check out this video on the program.
Cardinal Manufacturing in Strum Wisconsin is a school-based manufacturing program that operates both as a class and a business as well. The students gain real world life experiences while enrolled in the program. These experiences include problem solving and working in professional roles.
While recently attending a workshop on starting or growing your school-based enterprise at the school district of Eleva-Strum in Wisconsin I discovered that they have great model for their student-run business. Their program, Cardinal Manufacturing teaches soft skills and employability skills along with learning the technology.
Here is a great video about Cardinal Manufacturing which is a student-run business in the Eleva-Strum High School. It’s a manufacturing program in the technical education department where the students are responsible for all aspects of the business.
I recently had an opportunity to visit the technical education department at the Eleva-Strum high school. While I was in the shop, there was an eighth-grade class working on manual milling projects, sheet metal projects, welding projects, and brazing projects. These projects that they were making teach the students the fundamental principles of manufacturing. With this class, the students spend six days in each subject area, then they switch to another project. They learn the basics like how to read a tape measure, and how to use a dial caliper.
Cardinal Manufacturing is a student-run manufacturing program in the Eleva-Strum high school. They recently finished a 10-month remodeling project in the machine shop and classroom. It was a complete remodel which included the ceiling and walls being repainted. They chose a red and white color scheme for the rooms, halls, and manufacturing equipment.
Do You Have the Important Qualities for a Career in Machining?
Do you have a mechanical skillset?
Are you a technical person?
Do you excel at math?
If so, consider a career as a Machinist or Tool and Die Maker
Mathematical Skills - Ability to add, subtract, multiply, divide, and compute basic trigonometry functions while choosing the right methods to solve the problem
Reasoning Ability - Ability to use common sense understanding and solve problems
Oral Comprehension - Ability to listen and understand information spoken
Computer Literacy - Ability to use a computer and work with Microsoft Office programs
Mechanical / Technical Skills - Must operate lathes, mills, grinders and other computer controlled machines
Machinists make components and parts on computer controlled manufacturing equipment such as a CNC lathe or a CNC mill.
Tool and die makers make tool, die and mold components and other industrial tools on manual and CNC equipment. They also fit the components together and align and assemble the industrial tools.
Cardinal Manufacturing in Strum Wisconsin is a school-based manufacturing program that operates both as a class and a business as well. The students gain real world life experiences while enrolled in the program. These experiences include problem solving and working in professional roles.
