Sandvik Coromant celebrated Manufacturing Day in Canada on October 3 with 160 high school students enrolled in manufacturing technology programs in local Ontario schools.
Ross Carpino, general manager of Sandvik Coromant Canada, says the company decided to participate in Manufacturing Day because it wanted to reach out to young people to educate them about today’s manufacturing technologies.
“We want them to see that there’s a real future in manufacturing. And for students already studying manufacturing technologies in high school, it’s good for them to visit industry companies to see how high tech it can be. We’d like them to know manufacturing can be a very rewarding trade and salaries, depending on the areas can be quite high.”
One of the schools that participated in the event was M.M. Robison High School in Burlington, ON, that offers a Specialist High Skills Major program for students in grades 11 and 12. Students in the program learn on the job with employers and in school.
Dave Hamel is a teacher with the program at the high school. Ten of the 13 students attended Sandvik Coromant’s event.
‘”Students in the class are from every pathway. We have some that are going into an apprenticeship program next year, others going into engineering in university and some going to technical colleges. We like them to get real world experience in manufacturing and it’s part of their curriculum so when companies put on events, I jump at the opportunity to have students participate.”
The school is unique among high schools with manufacturing programs: it houses four CNC machines. “They’re older models, but they work and when we come out to an event like this, there’s a ‘wow’ factor for students because they get to see newer technologies in action.”
The students are learning about 3D CAD modeling, CNC programming, five axis machining, as well as waterjet and 3D laser cutting. “It’s important to know the basics but students have to learn the importance of new technologies too,” says Hamel. The school also has an accredited robotics and control systems program.
