Tours
Teachers are interested in touring industry partners’ facilities to keep up-to-date on tools, equipment and techniques. By showing your operations to teachers, they can help students make a connection between what they are learning and how it might be applied at local businesses. For example, a Jonathan Schwartz of Colfax High School visited Sierra Woods Inc. in Nevada City. Scott Seacrist at Lincoln High School visited Harris & Bruno in Roseville, AB Tools in Lincoln, Schilling Robotics in Davis, Selway Machine Tool Company in Union City and Titan Engineering in Auburn.
Job Shadow/Externships
Sierra STEM Collaborative is also looking for opportunities for instructors to do a job shadow or externship at local businesses that can range from half a day to a few weeks. Teachers agree that these experiences enrich their teaching:
“Teachers need to change along with industry. I realized that maintenance techs now focus more on mechanical problems rather than electronics alone.”
“I wanted to learn more about CNC manufacturing, and see if what I am teaching is connected to industry or if I should change my curriculum. I gained great insight into today’s standards in industry.”
“The visit made me realize how important it is for a CNC operator to understand how to run a manual machine. Students must understand math and use it to set up and run their machines.”
Titan Engineering in Auburn, CA provides a tour to instructors.