Adapting the Old School to Meet the Modern Skills DemandTransforming a small community college from Tool & Die machining to a modern CNC production Machining focus.

The Groundwork

› Presenter's Background

› Starting Conditions

› Curriculum

› College’s Desires

Let’s Begin with my Background

› I caught on fire and fell in love.– Small town Ag class 1996

› Serendipity led to “How can I make that?”– U.S. Army, 2000-2005, Machinist (44E)– CNC Student, Texas State Technical College 2005-2006– CNC Machinist Longview, TX area 2006-2008

› I knew there was more and wanted it– The University of Texas at Tyler

› Bachelor of Science, Industrial Technology› Master of Science, Industrial Management › Work Study, Environmental Health and Safety

BRCC Lab Conditions

› 30 plus Years of Tool & Die– Started as way for local industry to gain employees– Mostly Manual Machines– Seven (7) Total CNC Machines

› Manual Machine Conditions– Newest Manual Machine circa 1991– Lacked modern convenience– Lacked safety features

› CNC Machines– Most were purchased with a grant

Established Curriculum› No Identifiable Logic in selection

– Classes where chosen to increase lab time– No prerequisites – Confused Students– Took as many as four (4) years to complete

› Five (5) Manual Machining Classes– All skill levels attended class at the same time– Each class had fourteen (14) contact hours

› Five (5) CNC Classes– Students learned from worksheets– Very few practical exercises– All classes where the same class

What the College Wanted› Change the Relationship with Local Industry

– Industry interest had waned – Industry needs were different than the college program– Students were subpar employees

› Modernize the program– Strategic purchasing with grant funds– Create a new program of study– Third Party Credentialing

› Increase Enrollment– Twelve active students, first year through final year– No high school participation

Identifying Where Change is Most Needed

› A typical Student

› State Standards

› Local Industry

› Acquiring Resources

› Local Partnerships

What’s a typical Student for Me› Likely came from the construction or tourism industry

– Retirement was the largest economy in Henderson county› $235 million hits the banks in Henderson County monthly› Ahead of Tourism (2) and Manufacturing (3)

– Large numbers of unemployed directly related to the recession› Especially hard on construction› Services i.e. Wait Staff, Bed and Breakfast, Outdoor sports› Likely came from the construction or tourism industry

› Likely needed some developmental math– May not have graduated high school

› Due to high construction demand

– Likely it had been many years since using complex math skills like algebra and trigonometry

What’s a typical Student for Me, continued

› Little, if any, income– Odd Jobs– Financial Aid– Minimum Wage employment (Fast Food)

› Few study skills– Many had never attended college – Lots of years since they last went to school

› A Little Salty– Strong construction industry for 15 plus Years– Can be a little opinionated

State Standards

› Associates Degree– Minimum 64 credit hours– Maximum 76 credit hours

› Diploma– Minimum 36 credit hours– Maximum 48 credit hours

› Certificates– Minimum 12 credit hours– Maximum 18 credit hours

Source: http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/academic-programs/curriculum-standards

Finding our what Industry wanted

› Conduct an advisory committee meeting– Required to hold two (2) per year– Contact as many representatives as possible

› Ask “Why are you not hiring our students?”– Tool knowledge– Set up– CNC Skills

› Ask “What are you projecting to be your needs?”– Rate of growth– Technology advances

Where was I lacking?

› Good Instructors vs. Good Teachers– I can tell people how to do something.– Can I teaching people how to do something?

› What new skills did I need?– Class structure– Class control– Adapting to different personality/learning types

› What did I need to maintain these skills?– Professional development – Periodicals

Acquiring Resources

› Grant Funding– Golden Leaf Grant ($485,000)

› Purchased CNC machines› Some strings attached

› Educational Foundation Funding – Purchased manual equipment and tools ($185,000)

› Only needed outcome was growth› Be good stewards of the funds

› State Budget– Purchased material software and consumables

› Volatile funding› Large purchase had to go out to bid

Partnerships

› Development of custom Certificates– Had to be Con Ed to Curriculum– Needed to be adapted to meet the unique work schedule– Be a foundation for promotion and/or hiring

› Enormous pool of Information– Advises on growth or contraction– Newest implemented equipment, processes, and skills

› BRCC being the “Go To” – If they need it, we can give it– Resource for hiring– Apprenticeships

The Current State of Things

› Shop Renovations

› New Program

› Success Stories

Shop Renovations

› Tearing down walls– Designed to look more like an industrial floor

› Open spaces › Clean paths of egress

– Increased visibility for instructors and students› Instructors and students are visible from almost

anywhere on the floor

– Greater margin of safety› Power safety mechanisms› Fire extinguishers, first Aid and spill kits within 50 feet

Placing of machines

› Laid out much the same way an industry floor would look– Room for fork truck to move freely– Positioned in work cells– Minimized flat surfaces

Tool Organization and Security› Reduced flat surfaces

– One (1) table with vises on the floor

› Required student tool purchases– Basic measuring tool kit

› Mounting of pegboards – A place for everything and everything its

place

› Dedicated tool crib– Locked at all times– Instructor is the attendant

› MSC vending– Two (2) year process– First to utilize MSC Vending in North Carolina

New Program› Certificates (up to 4)

– Obtained in thirty two (32) weeks– Eighteen (18) credit hours– Encompass basic machining to CNC Operations

› Diploma (1)– Obtained in forty two (42) weeks– Thirty eight (38) credit hours– CNC Programming focus

› Associate in Applied Science Degree (1)– Obtained in fifty eight (58) weeks– Sixty six (66) credit hours– Customizable– Design and production skills focus

New Program, continued.› If possible, courses are hybrid

– Tooling U SME– Assignments are on one (1) week rotation.

› Practical exercises are NIMS based– New prints that teach fundamentals– Implementation of a grading rubric.

› CNC course are broken down for ease of learning– CNC set up class that meets local industry skills– CNC programing class that focuses on programing and

trouble shooting

› Implementation of a “Capstone” course.– Students make parts of a whole.

Student and College Success

› Students are better prepared– No longer timid with tooling and machines– Know how production affects cost of manufacturing

› Employability has increased– Utilize critical thinking and problem solving skills– Responsible– Phone calls start in September/October

› Met or meeting the college desires– Increased enrollment– Close ties to Industry– Starting NIMS self assessment in September

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME

@BagleyBryan

Bryan A. Bagley

Blue Ridge Community College Computer Integrated Machining

b_bagley@blueridge.edu

828-694-1842