D155 Manufacturing Advisory Board Tours School Facilities

District 155 created a manufacturing advisory board to partner with industry leaders to improve facilities and create more opportunities for students within the Industrial Technology Department. Representatives from local companies toured the facilities at Cary-Grove High School and Crystal Lake South High School and offered suggestions to improve and update machinery.

The board includes 15 area companies and organizations, including Scott Forge and the Tooling Manufacturing Association (TMA.) The advisory board meets three to four times throughout the year.

“We are aware that manufacturing has evolved significantly in the last few decades. In District 155, we are working to increase opportunities for students by starting a partnership with the advisory board aimed at improving our curriculum and facilities in technical education,” said Michelle Kidd, Division Leader at Crystal Lake South.

District 155 is committed to helping students gain real-world experience during high school to expand their career readiness skills and contribute to success in future endeavors. The Industry and Careers division includes autos, metals, woods, and engineering/drafting. This year the district is focused on updating and improving resources provided to students taking these courses, who may pursue careers in the manufacturing industry.

Several students shared their experience with the district’s manufacturing program and their career paths. Students at Cary-Grove discussed their internships with Fabrik in McHenry, Sequoia Automatic, and Armin Tool. Tony Gonzalez, a 2015 graduate of Crystal Lake South, said he followed and job shadowed anyone he could while he was in the manufacturing program at South.

“I started in maintenance,” said Gonzalez. “Set-up technician was my favorite. I like hands-on work, which is exactly what I wanted.”

Gonzalez says everyone in maintenance was a mentor. He gained a lot of experience through the manufacturing program offered at Crystal Lake South and District 155, and through the Work Program he interned with Medtronic. This led to full-time employment for Gonzalez with Medtronic.

In woods classes, students create products such as jewelry boxes, bird houses, shelves, and more. Metals classes focus on the skills of measurement, cutting, casting, welding, and more. In autos, students learn to trouble shoot engines, assemble brakes and transmission, and test batteries. Engineering students use equipment such as CNC routers, 3D printers, VEX robotics, and Arduino computer microcontrollers. Technology education students run CAD/CAM software, CNC routers, vinyl cutters, and more to create 3D machining projects, such as name plaques.

The advisory board has also reviewed grants to update machinery at all four high schools. Other ideas discussed include field trips, internship possibilities, and study tracks for certification in particular jobs areas.

The next meeting will be held in May, when the group hopes to tour several of the companies that support the initiative.