68 WINTER 2022 | WWW.SHAKER.LIFE
Retooling Shop Class When students first enroll in the course, McGuan takes pains to dispel
any preconceived notions of what manufacturing entails.
“I show them vintage videos of machine shops and factories, which are
probably the image they and their parents have of what machining is – dirty
and dark,” says McGuan. “It’s completely changed from that. Manufacturing
facilities now are high-tech, brightly lit, nice places to work.” To demonstrate,
he shows them recruitment videos from local companies like Rockwell
Automation, Lincoln Electric, Swagelok, and Timken. “This is an exciting field,
and these places are hungry for bright, young, skilled workers,” he tells them.
The students had a chance to learn this for themselves when they took a
field trip to attend Manufacturing Day 2021 at Great Lakes Science Center.
There, they rubbed elbows with representatives from those companies and
many others, as they participated in a variety of hands-on demonstrations
and activities like augmented-reality welding.
The students came away impressed. “I was surprised by all the
opportunities there are in manufacturing. There’s onsite training and it pays
well,” says junior Parker Roeder.
Getting some real-world experience under their tool belts is a huge draw
for many students. Says senior Katy Christian, who took the course last year,
“I jumped at the opportunity to take the Machining and Manufacturing class
and was not disappointed. It opened up new doors for me as I learned to
operate machinery I wouldn't otherwise have access to.
Importantly for Katy, who wants to become an engineer, the contacts
she made from a class project allowed her to obtain a summer internship
at a local aerospace machining company, Shaker Numeric. There, she ran
many of the main machines used in manufacturing, which solidified her
career aspirations.
Internship opportunities are an important real-world connection, one that
the Shaker Schools Foundation helped forge. Says Holly Coughlin, executive
director of the Foundation, “One of our goals is to create partnerships with
local businesses that can provide meaningful internships and mentoring
opportunities for our students.”
This year, students from the Machining and Manufacturing class will have
the opportunity to intern at Rockwell Automation over the summer. Students
may also have the opportunity to visit a few times during the school year to
get their feet wet.
“It’s really a win for both parties, because those manufacturing
companies hope to gain our students as employees one day,” says Coughlin.
McGuan agrees. “One of the things I love about this course is the
connection we have with manufacturing here in Cleveland. All you have to
do is drive around and you’ll see help wanted signs at these manufacturing
facilities,” he says. “If you can show you’re a good problem solver, reliable,
and interested in what you’re doing, the possibilities are limitless.” SL
One Class,
M any Paths
A quick poll of the students in
both sections of the Machining
and Manufacturing class reveals
a common thread: students who
enjoy working with their hands
and learning by doing.
But what they plan to do
with this knowledge varies from
student to student. Forrest
Chaney took Intro to Engineering
as a freshman and was hooked.
He then took Advanced
Engineering as a sophomore and
is now enrolled in Machining and
Manufacturing to get a more wellrounded
experience.
For senior Aaron Witt, this
is his first experience with one
of the pathway courses. “I just
wanted to give it a try,” he says.
For Matt Ritley, a senior,
this course is one step on a long
journey to pursue a Ph.D. in
either mechanical or electrical
engineering. “I like working
on machines and I do private
contracting outside of school,”
he says.
Giles Foster, a senior, is
keeping all of his options open.
“I might go into architecture,
but I also like acting. I wanted to
take a class that would teach me
something I could do outside
of school.”
Camille Billips, a junior,
says “I want to be an engineer,
so I wanted to get a better
understanding of the basics.”
But she also loves coding and
computer science, courses she’s
taking as part of the Career Tech
Education program. She starts
her day at Heights High, which
participates in a five-district
consortium to provide all the
courses for that certification.
Michael Timberlake, a
senior, is also working toward
his CTE certification, with a
goal to become a carpenter. He
takes a woodworking class in
Maple Heights.