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The manufacturing workforce is a complex network of interconnected systems. Producing that workforce is just one of many complicated subsystems. Four important components of this workforce development subsystem are: work-based learning internships and apprenticeships  skill certification talent pipeline development Successful workforce development requires detailed attention to these components of the “talent pool pathway” for manufacturing’s workforce. Florida’s approach to its manufacturing “talent pool pathway” is to first identify key organizations that can and should participate in this “pathway”. Like in other states, these organizations historically have worked independently in Florida, each paying attention to only selective components of the “talent pool pathway” (the components that are in their own wheelhouse). The challenge is to develop ways to remove this silo effect. In Florida, the responsibilities associated with these immediate foundation “talent pool pathway” du...

The most recent FLATE Industrial Advisory Committee (IAC) meeting on Thursday, January 19 at Pinellas Technical College’s (PTEC) Clearwater campus was a huge success. The evening began with a tour showcasing the manufacturing programs offered at PTEC, including machining and welding. The tour was led by Assistant Director, Eric McClendon. In some labs, the attendees were able to see students working on projects. The students were able to show off their skills, and express their joy about the program and the ability to gain expertise. The students also stated that they realized just how much these programs will benefit their future careers. After the tour, the main event began with a panel discussion led by Brad Jenkins, co-principal investigator of FLATE, and Ken Jones, Economic Development Manager for Hillsborough County. This panel focused on debating the pros and cons of internships. The panel provided an open forum for professionals from several different organizations to discuss w...

FloridaMakes is working with the Florida Sterling Council on the newly launched Florida Sterling Manufacturing Business Excellence Award – designed to recognize and support high-performing Florida manufacturing companies, and offer a framework for sharing manufacturing best practices. All manufacturers with production facilities in Florida are eligible for this award. It is not necessary to be a member of any association. It’s easy to make a nomination – and self-nominations are encouraged! For all instructions on how to submit a nomination please Click here . If you have any questions you can contact Phil Centonze at Phil.Centonze@FloridaMakes.com FLATE is also accepting nominations for the 2017 FLATE Awards. For more information on the awards, please contact Dr. Marilyn Barger, Executive Director of FLATE at  mbarger@fl-ate.org . You can also  Click here to read  a previous FLATE Focus article about the 2017 FLATE Awards, and  visit FLATE’s award page here .

The Robotics Education and Competition (REC) Foundation is extremely invested in encouraging more students to become involved in STEM- education based on science, engineering, technology, and math. The REC Foundation offers many great resources for teachers and schools. REC manages the largest middle school and high school robotics STEM programs, with exponentially growing elementary and university programs. The REC Foundation has over 20,000 teams expected to participate this season in all 50 states and 40 other countries. Florida in particular has 730 teams. There have been 74 VEX robotic competitions this season, including the upcoming VEX Robotics’ State Championships on Friday, Feb. 17. Matt Conroy, South East Regional Support Manager from the REC Foundation, stated that in order to “expand STEM in Florida through our programs, we must get the word out about our opportunities and engage schools and teachers into our competitions. Once the kids and teachers get a chance to compet...

A technician is part of a team that is installing a 3D printer that has an automatic leveling system that uses an inductive sensor to make the level measurements. The team is having trouble getting the printer level and the technician suspects the inductive sensor is not functioning properly. The tech uses a computer based oscilloscope to measure the voltage and current output signals from the sensor while the printer is executing the leveling process. That data is shown below. Plot Legends indicate that the red dotted curve represents the current and the blue curve the voltage signal. The Tech knows that an inductor based sensor always shifts the voltage signal out of phase with the current signal; the voltage leads the current.  Does the technician think that the Inductive Sensor is functioning correctly? Yes or No? Submit your answers below this blog post, or at www.fl-ate.org. 

Special thanks to Nautique for hosting FLATE’s 13th Annual National Visiting Committee on Thursday, February 2, and for providing a spectacular tour of their production facility. Nautique’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility covers approximately 270,000 square feet. The FLATE team and members of the NVC were able to witness all stages of the manufacturing process, which starts with molding and ends with testing the boats on one of the two on-site test lakes. On average, Nautique produces 11 boats per day. Nautique’s world headquarters is located in Orlando and is owned by parent company Correct Craft. Founded in 1925, Correct Craft is a Florida-based company with global operations. Correct Craft is known for both excellence in the marine industry and its caring company culture. It’s clear to see why Correct Craft was named Manufacturer of the Year by the Manufacturers Association of Central Florida in 2010. Fun Fact about Correct Craft: During World War II, General Eisenhower requ...

Gene Haas Foundation Scholarship Donation for Precision and CNC Machining Program at Suncoast Technical College- Florida Congratulations to Suncoast Technical College (STC) on receiving a donation from the Gene Haas Foundation! These funds will be used to create a scholarship at the college’s Precision and CNC Machining Program. STC stated that the scholarship “will be put towards any deserving apprentice who may need financial help to attend our award winning program.” STC has been offering their Precision and CNC Machining Program for four years. After the completion of this current year, the college will have produced 88 machinists. The program offers day and night courses, and this year added a MasterCam University Certification Course to be offered in the evening. STC has produced 23% of all the NIMS credentials for Florida. STC also hosted the first HTEC CNC Machining Educators Conference in 2016. “We are very pleased to have chosen the best equipment and educational support from...

FLATE supports many STEM based initiatives. This past Saturday, February 4, Hillsborough Community College’s Brandon Campus hosted a Science Olympiad. This Olympiad lines up with FLATE's mission to get more children involved in STEM. The Olympiad had a tremendous turnout of over 500 children. The children competed in teams, and there were 22 middle school teams and 25 high school teams. The Olympiad offered several different events that challenged the students in a variety of ways. Some events required planning prior to the Olympiad. An example of this is the Hovercraft event where a hovercraft was built prior to the event and brought to the Olympiad completed. After bringing their completed hovercraft to the Olympiad, the students had to test to see if their hovercraft functioned properly. The event also included a written test with physics questions.  There were also events where students got no prior planning and completed the whole project during the event. One example of this ...