Advertisement
More than half of southeastern Minnesota manufacturers are seeing a moderate to severe shortage of workers — especially engineers, skilled production technicians and scientists, according to a survey by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
A new nationwide program called Project Lead the Way coming to Winona Senior High School next year is expected to put the fuel back into the fire for future engineering students and fill the manufacturers’ ranks.
Winona Area Public Schools has partnered with local businesses and colleges to implement the four-year program designed to enhance students’ science, technology, engineering and math skills.
“It’s getting students technology savvy even if they don’t go specifically in engineering,” said John Meyer, value engineering manager at Winona’s Benchmark Electronics. “It’s real key in moving forward, in recruiting and keeping families in Winona.”
Project Lead the Way combines hands-on learning, group learning, guest speakers, field trips, job shadowing and internships to expose students to basic principles of engineering at a young age. Students also can earn college credits.
The first three classes in Winona will be offered to 10th- to 12th-graders by math teacher Kathy Wade, science teacher Jed Olson and industrial technology teacher Kevin Martin. The instructors will have to attend an eight-week training program this summer.
The goal is to steer more students — especially girls and ethnic minorities — into post-secondary engineering and technology programs, whether it’s a two-year or four-year track, said Jim Mecklenburg, program leader for Minnesota.
The nonprofit program started in 1997 in upstate New York and spread to Minnesota two years later. The state now has 145 participating school districts, including Owatonna, Rochester, Mankato and Ely.
The popularity grew because of unique class projects that both students and teachers enjoy, Mecklenburg said, such as toy designing and building a race car from a mouse trap. A student in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., patented a cellphone-initiated car starter after designing it in a capstone course her senior year.
The program costs nothing to implement, but the district needs $72,000 to buy computer-aided design software and computers good enough to run it. The local universities plan to offer computers, and the Winona Area Chamber of Commerce has pledged to raise $25,000 to $30,000 for software.
Many businesses can’t wait to cut the checks or offer mentoring, said Chamber President Della Schmidt.
“One of the things we have received as feedback with members is the concern about their future workforce, specifically K-12 education providing rigorous and relevant curriculum, specifically in the math, science in technology areas,” Schmidt said.
WSHS Assistant Principal Mark Anderson hopes the program will allow more students to realize the companies that offer competitive wages in their own hometown.
“Our top kids won’t stay in Winona but will go on to other places for school and then hopefully come back to the community and broaden our horizons,” he said. “We also have a huge market of kids never planning on leaving Winona and aren’t sure what to do.”
Anderson expected increased enrollment in higher-level math classes and possibly expanding the program to the middle school in five years.
“I wish I had this when I was in high school,” he said.
Contact reporter Amber Dulek at amber.dulek@lee.net or (507) 453-3513.
The Ultimate Hustler wrote on Dec 25, 2007 1:07 PM: