News & Updates
2021 MFG Month Student Events Get Creative to
Work Around Pandemic Challenges
Manufacturing Month kicked off on Friday, October 1st in Florida and around the country. Although coronavirus pandemic challenges persist and some in-person student events have been cancelled or postponed, many MFG Month coordinators have created new ways to continue showing students the many great careers available to them in the manufacturing industry.

Here are some student events celebrating Manufacturing Month this October, many with planning assistance from FLATE. It's not too late to plan your student event!

  • October 1: a Virtual MFG Month Panel "Making the Future in Northeast Florida" was held with over 90 students participating from Baker, Clay, Duval, Putnam and St. Johns Counties. 

  • In Central East Florida, the Brevard County MFG Job Fair will be held on October 7th at CareerSource Brevard. And on October 14th, the Made in Tampa Bay Expo & Job Fair will be held at CareerSource Tampa Bay. Students from high schools and colleges in those areas are welcomed to attend.

  • The Bay Area Manufacturer's Association (BAMA) in the Tampa Bay area has worked with Hillsborough and Pinellas County School Districts to create the Great Manufacturing Month Teach-In to be held on October 19th & 21st. 

  • At least 13 schools in Polk County will be attending a virtual MFG Month Panel Discussion on October 27th.

  • And on October 28th, a MFG Month and DEAM (Disability Employment Awareness Month) Virtual Panel will be held for High School High Tech students from across the State of Florida.  

To share your MFG Month student event ideas or for help planning your event, please reach out to the FLATE team at events@flate.org.
Palm Beach State College Begins New Industry 4.0 Program: Smart Factory Training
Through their new Smart Factory Lab program, Palm Beach State College (PBSC) is ensuring that student credit certificates and associate degrees represent Industry 4.0 skills. The program was developed after Eva Suarez, Professor and Department Chair for Engineering Technology at PBSC, and her team reached out to local industry partners and asked them for specifics on what knowledge, skills and abilities future graduates should have. Suarez believes in close collaboration with industry, "Our degrees aren't really worth anything until they're relevant to companies, especially locally." 

What they discovered is that almost all companies were looking for students trained in Industry 4.0 skills, those skills related to new and emerging technologies in the workplace. With a grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, the Smart Factory Lab was equipped, staffed and beta tested earlier this year while the pandemic was limiting student attendance. Industry partners who worked with the PBSC team on the project included SV Microwave, Keith Inc, Trevjicos and Pratt & Whitney among many others.
Advancing Florida’s Career and Technical Education through Entrepreneurship Education and Training
Entrepreneurs constantly bring new products and services to market, driving economic growth through creative applications of new technologies. Business equity is the second largest source of wealth behind home equity, and for special populations, self-employment, and the ability to effectively create value, contributes to Florida’s greater economic security. FLATE is committed to help execute the vision of Florida’s Strengthening Career and Technical Education (CTE) for the 21st Century Act (Perkins V) by providing accessible resources to support the creation of a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem for the state’s CTE students.

FLATE has compiled a list of resources focused on entrepreneurship curriculum and mentorship covering basic principles of entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship as a career, ethics in business as well as the principles of marketing, financing, and managing a business. In addition, FLATE has prepared a list of Florida colleges that offer Entrepreneurship Education and Training (EET). The Florida Department of Education EET program is designed to introduce students in CTE programs to the mindset required of successful entrepreneurs, while guiding and developing their entrepreneurial skills. Part of the EET program includes foundational entrepreneurial skills which will be embedded directly into Career Technical Education (CTE) curriculum starting Fall 2021 to assist high school students in developing labor market-relevant employability skills and inspire them to continue their training in postsecondary programs of study. 
Upcoming Events
Fall ET Forum - October 26, 2021
Florida Career Pathways Network (FCPN) is excited to host the FCPN Annual Symposium on January 12-14, 2022, at Hutchinson Shores Resort & Spa in Stuart, Florida. The Florida Career Pathways Network is a membership organization for educators, employers and workforce development partners involved in the advancement of Career Pathways, Career & Technical Education and other related education reform initiatives. Early bird registration is open now.
News
A Third Grade Plant Tour Turns into
Dream Engineer Job at GE Appliances
After Jordan Julius visited the GE Appliances (GEA) assembly line in third grade, she dreamed about becoming an engineer who designed equipment. Her dream became reality in 2019 when at age 26, she was hired by GEA to design the manufacturing process and assembly line for the new Zoneline vertical terminal air conditioner line being put in at Monogram Refrigeration in Selmer, Tenn.

To prepare for this job, in addition to a degree from the University of North Texas, Julius also had two co-op experiences at GEA while in college in field quality and service parts sourcing. “I always knew I wanted to work on new product development,” said Julius. “When I saw the opening for the advanced manufacturing (AME) team and then got the job to be the lead for the new VTAC launch, it was huge for me . . . a real honor. I really didn’t expect something like this until I was in my thirties and had more experience.”
Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Terran Orbital will Invest $300 Million in Florida to Construct the World’s Largest, State-of-the-Art, Commercial Spacecraft Facility
Governor DeSantis announced Terran Orbital’s decision to choose Merritt Island for construction of its Commercial Spacecraft and Constellation Facility, bringing valuable spacecraft manufacturing opportunities and capabilities to the State of Florida by investing more than $300 million in new construction and equipment. This will be the largest satellite manufacturing facility in the world. The project is expected to create approximately 2,100 new jobs with an estimated annual average wage of $84,000 by late 2025.
Opportunities for Students
Energy Careers 2021
Virtual Career Fair for Students - October 20, 2021
A national, virtual, free career fair will be held on October 20, 2021 for job seekers considering a career in energy and those interested in learning more about future opportunities in the field. Concurrent sessions specifically for high school students and college students will be held from 11:30 AM - 3:15 PM on October 20th. Click here for the full schedule.
Center for Nanoscale Science & Technology (CNST) Internship Opportunity for College Students
The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology (CNST) NanoFab, at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and NEATEC are sponsoring internships at the CNST in Gaithersburg, MD for two students (community college and/or four-year technical colleges). The 16-week internship will begin January 3rd, 2022. Each student will receive a stipend of $650 per week during the duration of the internship and a one-payment of $500 to cover travel expenses. 
  
The program is designed for students enrolled in engineering or technical fields, such as electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, semiconductor, nanotechnology, and other related fields. This is a great opportunity for students and recent graduates to enhance their resumes and to learn, in particular, about semiconductors, nanotechnology hands-on activities, and cleanroom tools. Students enrolled in science programs, such as Engineering Science, physics and chemistry are welcomed to apply. However, special consideration will be given to students with a basic background in semiconductor and nanotechnology fabrication and processes. 
Opportunities
'Preparing Successful NSF S-STEM Proposals'
Writing Workshop for NSF-funded Online Proposals
An online workshop and webinar series to develop competitive S-STEM proposals starting Friday November 5th, 2021, 5:00-7:00pm (EDT). Kickoff followed by a series of ten 1-hour webinars on each component of S-STEM proposals over three months. Teams are mentored through to successful submission of proposals by the NSF deadline in March 2022.

Institutions that have not had prior NSF S-STEM awards are especially encouraged. NSF S-STEM awards provide $750K - $1.5M for scholarships and other activities. Participation limited to 20 participant teams. Application required. Preference given to workshop applications received by October 25, 2021.
Inspire the Future: FIRST Educators Recognition Program Opens for Nominations
The FIRST robotics community is full of dedicated and inspirational teachers who empower each other as much as their students. They mentor and coach students, help organize and volunteer for FIRST events in their schools and communities, and advocate for FIRST programs in their districts. 

First is launching the Inspire the Future: FIRST Educators Recognition Program to celebrate the FIRST educators who impact and inspire their learning communities. Nominate PreK-12 teacher who has engaged students in FIRST & STEM through their classroom activities, particularly students who have been historically underrepresented in STEM. Nominations open until December 17th.
Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs® Grant Funding to Host Summer Manufacturing Camps - Deadline Extended
Join the summer fun AND recruit future students to your program by hosting a Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs summer manufacturing camp at your college. Last summer, NBT funded several Robotics and STEM camps around Florida. Help middle and high school students develop hands-on skills and discover prosperous careers in the manufacturing industry. The summer 2022 NBT camp grant application deadline is now Dec. 1, 2021 and is very easy to complete. Join State College of Florida, Central Florida College and Hillsborough Community College in these summer impactful and fun recruiting activities. Click here for camp impact data and more information on these Florida camps.
Advanced Manufacturing Program Updates
Valencia College Doubles Welding Program Offerings
in Central Florida
Valencia College Accelerated Skills Training has expanded its Welding program across Central Florida. The College doubled the size of its welding program by expanding to the new Center for Accelerated Training in Northwest Orlando. Previously the Welding program was offered exclusively at the Advanced Manufacturing Training Center in Kissimmee.  The Welding program consists of two 20-week courses, Level 1 and Level 2. There are daytime and evening offerings at the new Center for Accelerated Training. The next classes begin in January 2022.

The new Welding shop is equipped with the latest advanced technology and has 15 welding booths, 20 advanced process welders, CNC plasma cutter, a vertical and a horizontal saw, 3 fabrication tables, and a state-of-the art ventilation system. A grant from the American Welding Society was used to acquire a sheet metal shear and a sheet metal brake. The shop is part of the new collaborative workspace that also features programs such as Carpentry, Apartment Maintenance, Distribution Operations, and Certified Forklift Technician.
Resources
Virtual Lecture for Your Class on the
Evolution of Design and Manufacturing  
Reinforce what you've been saying to your students by bringing in an industry expert who will speak to your class—at no cost. This Autodesk Certified Instructor will share the workforce skills in demand now and what will be required in the future. Based on what they're hearing, they will speak to the fact that engineers who can rapidly design and manufacture smart products are in high demand.
AI in Middle School Science
One of the 5 “Big Ideas” of AI is Perception: Computers perceive the world using sensors. This document will look at ways that living things sense and perceive things, and how we mimic that perception in computers and AI systems. It will also explore some of the ways we use sensors and AI in various fields of science, and share resources and tools for the middle school classroom.
Free Hybrid Electro-Mechanical Course Content
Jim Pytel, Electro-Mechanical Technology Instructor, from Columbia Gorge Community College has posted free online resources on YouTube to support electro-mechanical instruction using a hybrid delivery format. Videos include lectures on Electrically Controlled Systems, Basic Electrical Circuits, Hydraulics and Electrical Control of Hydraulic Systems, and Motor Control.
Food For Thought
Research shows scale models effective for predicting
storm damage to wood-frame buildings
A pair of scale model structures subjected to simulated storm conditions in an Oregon State University lab responded like real wood-frame homes during recent hurricanes, suggesting model buildings can yield important design information for low-lying areas vulnerable to storm surges and big waves. "We wanted to establish a way to build scaled wood-frame specimens that would behave, and ultimately fail, under wave loading like their full-scale counterparts have been observed to do," said Sean Duncan, who led the study. "We also set out to develop an equation that could predict the distribution of the uplift pressure on elevated structures. We were able to accomplish both of those goals." The models were built to one-sixth scale, with strength and stiffness on par with real residences such as those hit by Hurricane Sandy in Ortley Beach, New Jersey, and by Hurricane Ike on Texas' Bolivar Peninsula. Each of those storms caused extensive damage, which focused greater attention on coastal communities' vulnerability to waves and storm surges, and on learning more about how to design and construct storm-resistant homes, Duncan said.
Astronomers at the University of California, San Diego have learned more about what exhaust from galaxies is composed of and how galactic emissions are ‘recycled.’ Among their findings, the researchers noted that when a star explodes and creates a supernova, the outflow is emitted from both ends of the star and is made up of gases that contain fragments of the star's core. The researchers were able to accurately identify materials in the interstellar emissions and confirmed the presence of carbon, hydrogen, iron and other elements. These materials are pushed out into the universe in ejected gases after a star collapses, seeding future asteroids, planets and stars.