CenterforTechnicalExcellence

HutchinsonHighSchoolHutchinson,Minnesota

AcentralstrategyinHutchinson’sSkilledWorkforceDevelopmentPlanwastoestablishthe“CenterforTechnicalExcellence”atHutchinsonHighSchool.InmanyschoolsacrossAmerica,Career&TechnicalEducation (or“theshop”as itsoftenreferred to)comesatthetailendoftheschooldistrictbudget.Aftereverythingelseispaidfor,ifthere’sanymoneyleftoverinthehighschoolbudget,itgoestotheshop.Typicallyit’snotverymuch.Asaresult,manyschoolshaveshopareasthatarefilledwithinadequateandobsoleteequipment.Onatourofourshopareaafewyearsbackourschooldistrictsuperintendentcommented,“thisdoesn’tchangethestereotype,itreinforcesthestereotype!”…thestereotypebeingthatmanufacturingisdirtyandundesirableasacareer.Truthbetold,hewasright.OurCareer&TechnicalEducationarea–theshop–lookedlikeadungeon:unpainted cinderblock walls, run-down, filled with old and obsolete equipment. One of our CTEinstructorsnotedthatsomeoftheequipmentwassoold itcouldnolongerbecalibratedcorrectly. Itsimplywouldnotholdtolerance.

Thisisthetypeofthingthatgetsparentstellingtheirchildren,“Tommy,yougotocollegebecauseIdon’twantyoutoendupinaplacelikethis!”

Whetherwerealizeditornot,weweresendingamessage:Career&TechnicalEducationisnotimportant.Outdatedtech-edfacilitiesreinforceold(and erroneous) stereotypes ofmanufacturing,discouragesexplorationof technical education and “turns off”studentsandparents.It’s no wonder we have a skilledworkforceshortage!Here in Hutchinson, we resolved todramaticallychangethesituation.Ourgoals:

1. Changethestereotype studentsandparentshaveofmanufacturing.

2. Getstudentsinspired andexcitedaboutCareer&Technicaleducationandemployment.3. Provideworld-classequipment forstudentstotrainon.

Westartedbyremodelingourtech-edfacility.Oldequipmentwasdisposedof,wallspaintedwhiteandfloors received a coat of epoxy. Brand new, real-world equipmentwas added to create a first-classtrainingenvironment.

Wellover50yearsold,thisthingbelongsinamuseum,notinahigh-schooltech-edclassroom.

HutchinsonHighSchool’stech-edwingwasremodeledtogiveisamoreinviting,contemporarylook.

Windowedoverheaddoorswereinstalledsostudents(andparents!)canseealltheamazingactivityinthesehigh-techclassrooms.Thebigdoorsalsomakeiteasytomoveequipment,materials&projectsinandout.

ComputerAidedDrafting&Design(CADD)Lab

OurnewCADDLabissituatedrightinthemiddleofthe“CenterforTechnicalExcellence.”The twooverheaddoors to the left lead straight intoourMachine Tool Lab. Note thewindows on the far side of the room, so students, parents& teachers can seewhat’shappening.

MachineToolLab

Wehavesignageinallofourtech-edlabsrecognizingthepartnersthatmadeitallpossible.TheoverheaddoorleadsintotheMachineToolLab.

State-of-the-artequipmentlikethisHAASCNCVerticalMachiningCentermatchwhatisbeingusedbyprecision,high-techmanufacturersinthe21stCentury.WealsocoordinatedwithRidgewaterCollege(ourlocaltechnicalcollege)sothatinmanycasesourequipmentmatchestheirs.

(Left)CNCTool-RoomLathe.(Below)WhilethesemillsareequippedwithCNCcapability,studentsstartbylearningmanualmill&lathetechniques.Ourgoalistomatchascloselyaspossiblewhat’sbeingusedbothatourtechnicalcollegeandinindustry.Ourgoalisthatstudentswillhaveyearsofexperienceonthesemachinesbythetimetheystarttheirmanufacturingcareer.

BuildingTradesLab

Newlathes–sameasyou’dfindontheshopfloorofanywell-equippedmanufacturer.

Hutchinson’sBuildingTradesLabhasbeencompletelyreequippedwithstate-of-the-artmanual&CNCwoodworkingequipment.InthebackgroundyoucanseetheTinyHouseunderconstructionbyTigerManufacturing(ourstudentrunbusiness).Notetheclean,well-litenvironment.

Welding&MetalWorkingLab

Ifwehadtodoitalloveragain,wewouldhavemadeboththeBuildingTradesLabandtheWelding&MetalWorkingLabbigger.Wediscoveredthatwhilewehadroomenoughforalltheequipment,wedidn’tleaveenoughspaceforstudentstostorewhateverprojectstheywereworkingon.

TheWelding&MetalWorkingLabpossesses17weldingbooths,eachequippedwithitsownMIG&TIGwelders.

Engines&AutomotiveLab

Newworkbenchesareonwheels,allowingthespacetobereconfiguredasneeded.

ComingAttraction:AppliedEngineering&PhysicsLab

TheforegroundshowspartoftheEngines&AutomotiveLab.InthebackgroundistheWelding&MetalWorkingLabbeforetheweldingboothswerecompleted.Youcanseetheweldingfumeextractionsystem.

Inthesummerof2018we’llbeaddingtheAppliedEngineering&PhysicsLab.Herestudentswilllearnhands-onphysicsthroughtheuseofvariousautomation/mechatronicstrainersdevelopedbyFestoDidactic.

SomeofthetrainersthatwillequipourAppliedEngineering&PhysicsLab:

Aspartofourefforttochangestereotypes,webrandedourTech-edareaasthe“CenterforTechnicalExcellence.”Webelieveitisthebest-equipped,mostadvancedhighschooltechnicaleducationfacilityinMinnesota.Thisisthetypeoffacilitythatwillinspirestudents,showwhatmanufacturingreallylookslikeinthe21stcenturyandgetMom&Dadsaying,“Tommy,Suzie,getinthereanddothatbecauseitlookssupercool!”