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Trevor Warfield
With the rise of the fourth industrial revolution known as “Industry 4.0”, creating a learning environment that engages students and exposes them to new manufacturing technologies is increasingly important.
The Fairfield County Workforce Center (FCWC) is a cooperative facility shared by Ohio University and Hocking College designed to train both students and professionals in skilled trades. FCWC owns the latest advanced technology including industrial robots, robotic vision systems, programmable logic controllers, mechatronic trainers and other advanced manufacturing equipment. Students enrolled in the Engineering Technology program participate in this tool every day to enhance their manufacturing skills.
While the students were home for the winter, FCWC hosted a Total Tech-Bot (TTB) Robotics Camp. TTB Camp was a free camp open to students in grades six through eight. The camp provided opportunities for middle school students to engage with new tools used in modern manufacturing.
“The camp is divided into robotics, led by a Hocking College instructor, and manufacturing and engineering technology, led by me. I set up the labs for the campers and to my surprise, they picked it all up very quickly,” said Trevor Warfield, assistant professor of education at Ohio University’s Lancaster campus.
Throughout the academic year, Warfield teaches in the Engineering Technology program. Through this program, students can earn an Associate in Applied Science degree while developing their technical skills to succeed in the manufacturing industry.
“My teaching style is like a mentor. I like to immerse myself in the classroom. We work together as the students do their labs. This program is very hands-on, and we welcome learning by doing. More educated students will be better placed in the workforce,” Warfield said.
When middle school students come to FCWC for TTB Camp, Warfield continues his teaching approach. Like students enrolled in the Engineering Technology program, campers are able to solve real-world problems and explore manufacturing tools such as Human Machine Interface (HMI).
“My plan was to design a traffic light and the campers had to design a traffic light using the HMI. We posted a mock intersection on the FCWC floor, so everyone understood the timing and function of the traffic light. Then they had to work together to write the code — and they did,” Warfield said.
Two separate one-week camps gave campers multiple opportunities to explore the world of robotics and automation. The camp ended with a family day where each camper presented how to use the training equipment and its importance in the production process. This was an important opportunity for both campers and teachers to communicate the value of the new technical skills to their parents.
“Skilled trades such as manufacturing are in high demand these days. Factories all over Ohio need skilled workers and this is a highly skilled trade that provides great, high-paying jobs, Warfield said. “It’s important to get our young people excited about the future of this industry.”
In addition to the Total Tech-Bot Robotics Camp, the Fairfield County Workforce Center is home to for-credit engineering technology courses, as well as non-credit workforce development training courses. Learn more about the Engineering Technology program at Ohio’s Lancaster campus on this website. Learn more about the Fairfield County Workforce Development Center on this website.
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