Discovering Hidden Talent
We are delighted to announce the graduation of the first cohort of students from our Hot Shot – Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing course presented with the support and cooperation of WorkOne, EmployIndy, and PACE Indy!
The eight young adult students learned basic 2D & 3D modeling, how to build, operate and troubleshoot a 3D printer (which they got to keep) and how to operate an industrial laser cutter/engraver. The $2,500 tuition, 100% funded by state and federal workforce development grants, also included a new Chromebook which they used in the course.
The five-week/30 hour course was presented in-person two days a week at the WorkOne Indy facility on the east side of Indianapolis. Their building was formerly home to a charter school and includes a well-equipped computer lab and gymnasium where the 3D printer build session took place. Additional online content was offered using Dream.See.Do, our asynchronous learning platform, that includes videos, documents, links to other resources and assessments. WorkOne Indy had already invested in a laser cutter/engraver from 1st Maker Space that was used for the Hot Shot course.
In addition to building a 3D printer, each of the students was challenged to design and print a name tag using TinkerCAD as well as design and produce an illuminated name plate which combined products made on a 3D printer and laser cutter. What was surprising to us was how fast the students caught on!
The goal of the Hot Shot program was to introduce students to the world of advanced manufacturing and motivate them to continue onto a career in the industry. Hot Shot sparked a desire to learn that laid dormant in these students for years. The key was engaging them with hands-on, relevant, and cool tech that they could show their friends, family and skeptics that didn’t think they would amount to much. Filled with confidence and pride, they dug in – more than even they knew they could. That was transformational – and kept them coming back. One of the CBOs involved in the program said she had never had a cohort stick it out to the end like this.
Our Hot Shot course was Phase I of a multi-phase program designed by Employ Indy to skill-up opportunity youth to advance into a high wage/high demand career in advanced manufacturing. The next phase includes two weeks of full-time learning at Ivy Tech through Conexus and an internship with a local manufacturing company.
Education has changed in the last 18 months. Churchill famously said, “Never waste a crisis”. We believe that older students are looking for actionable/relevant training that can make a difference in their lives. Hot Shot is meeting their needs and giving them hope in a future they were scared may not be there for them. 1st Maker Space is proud to be a part of that future.
To learn more about the Hot Shot: Introduction to Advanced Manufacturing, visit our webpage at https://1stmakerspace.com/hot-shot and contact Kim Brand at Kim@1stmakerspace.com.