2015 Summer Manufacturing Programs for Middle and High School Students at Daley College, City Colleges of Chicago

This summer middle school students from Azuela Elementary School and Moos Elementary School and high schools students from various CPS high schools took manufacturing classes at Richard J. Daley College.  The middle school students participated in the Young Manufacturers Summer Academy sponsored by the Illinois Manufacturing Association.  These summer campers learned to operate machine tools manually and to run a tabletop CNC lathe.  They also learned to measure with micrometers and calipers and to draw 3D solid models in SolidWorks.  The students excelled in CAD and picked it up more quickly than anticipated.  Their instructors report the students were excited to cut metal, aluminum, brass, and even steel, and to operate the vertical milling machine and cut parts on CNC machines.

The CPS Office of College & Career Services recruited high-achieving high school students from various CPS high schools for two college-level manufacturing classes at Daley’s satellite campus, AVI.  An all-female group of students participated in a Machining Processes class where they learned how to set up and operate engine lathes, read blueprints, and master shop math. Another group of high schools students participated in an Introduction to Welding I class where they learned Gas Metal Arc Welding (or MIG). For their class project they made a replica of Thor’s Hammer.

The students in both groups earned their first college credits and they learned about the City Colleges’ Dual Enrollment program.  In addition to their manufacturing coursework, students attended workshops on writing resumes and on professional networking using LinkedIn, and they toured a few manufacturing shops.

Both the middle school and the high school students who participated in the manufacturing programs at Daley College expressed interest in pursuing careers in the manufacturing industry.  Their instructors are pleased to have played a part in preparing the next generation of shop floor leaders for success!