When Hi-Tech Machining & Engineering was asked to manufacture parts for an oil separator assembly for North America's largest jet maker, Vice President Jeremy Schalk turned to a surprising partner to help fill the order: Desert View High School.
Schalk knew better than most about the capabilities of students and their instructor at Desert View High School, located in the Sunnyside Unified School District. He is a founding member of the Southern Arizona Manufacturing Partners (SAMP), a consortium of area manufacturers who in 2012 came to Arizona@Work (formerly the Pima County One-Stop Career Center) for help in filling the critical shortage of skilled young machinists.
Arizona@Work reached out to area high schools and Pima Community College to revamp its machining curriculum and establish a pipeline of students ready to enter the field. Students pair their classroom training with internships at SAMP companies, many of whom go on to hire the students full time.
"I see this as training my future workforce," Schalk said. His team will inspect the completed parts, and then he will write a check to Desert View's Skills USA club. The funds will be processed by the school's business office, with students voting on how the money will be apportioned.
The teamwork is typical of "Youth Career Connect," a partnership of Arizona@Work/Pima County, the Pima County Joint Technical Education District (JTED), the Sunnyside and Tucson Unified School Districts, Pima Community College and nonprofit partner, Tucson Youth Development that connects youth to STEM-related careers. Arizona@Work/Pima County is the facilitator and administrator of the U.S. Department of Labor-funded project on behalf of Innovation Frontier Arizona, which also includes Santa Cruz, Pinal and Yuma counties.
"Each partner in creating a well-trained workforce brings something to the table," said Kathy Prather, Director, Career and Technical Education/JTED at SUSD. "We would not have known how to build our machining program if it were not for SAMP, who told us the right equipment to buy, and for JTED for funding the purchase of those machines," she said. "This is workforce development being led by Pima County and by SAMP."
The program at Desert View is the only Arizona high school program on the Manufacturing Institute's "M List," which recognizes best practices in manufacturing education. The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) also has accredited Desert View's program - a rigorous, three-step process that involves registering the program with NIMS, completing a self-study analysis and passing an on-site audit.
David Morgan chairs the machine tool technology advisory committee at Pima Community College after serving as the Director Of Business Development for NIMS, where he worked with community colleges across the country to implement their credentialing. "The pathway these Pima County partners have created for students should serve as a model for other communities," said Morgan.
"The program between the high schools, JTED, Arizona@Work and industry is providing students with the knowledge, skills and aspirations to have long-term employment with substantial earnings," Morgan said. "There are not many communities where you find robust high school programs working in concert with higher education and industry to this degree."
Desert View High School and Tucson Magnet High School feed students into the industrial technology program starting in their junior year. YCC also offers pathways to careers in bioscience, health technology and aviation. Desert View's instructor of precision manufacturing and drafting is Cesar Gutierrez.
The first crop of students came into the program in fall 2014, with support from teachers, counselors and parents. They work toward STEM career pathways and along the way they receive support, field trips, work experience and mentorships.
Each fall, a new group of juniors will be encouraged by teachers and counselors to join the program. By the end of the four-year project, approximately 900 students will have gone through one of the YCC STEM pathways.
For more information contact:
Nils Urman, Program Coordinator
Pima County Community Services
520-313-3434
Nils.Urman@pima.gov
Kathy Prather
Director, Career and Technical Education
Sunnyside Unified School District
520-545-2163
KathyPr@susd12.org
Cesar Gutierrez
Instructor, Precision Manufacturing and Drafting
Desert View High School
520-545-5225
CesarG@susd12.org
Jeremy Schalk, Vice President
Hi-Tech Machining & Engineering
520-889-8325, Ext. 12
jeremy@hi-techmachining.net