The Advanced Technology Presentation about “Careers in the Making…Design, Engineering, Fabrication and More…” in celebration of National Manufacturing Day was a huge success.

The evening was both inspirational and informative. Panel speakers from local companies offered advice on how to pursue high wage, high demand careers across a wide variety of advanced technology industries. The panel also featured a student representative from the High Altitude Student Payload (HASP) who helped the audience realize the potential for hands-on, advanced learning opportunities right here in Santa Clarita at College of the Canyons. Our keynote speaker offered encouragement that even the toughest obstacles can be overcome with drive, passion and hard work.

On Friday, students currently in the Hart School District’s Advanced Technologies Pathways visited displays and activities conducted by many SCV advanced technology partners: Advanced Bionics, Aerospace Dynamics Inc., Car Lights & Sounds, Donaldson Filtration Solutions, FMI Aerostructures, LSL Instruments (guitars), Remo Drums, Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, and Technifex. Students met current robotics competitors, NASA HASP, and had hands-on engineering and fabrication activities in COC’s FabLab and MakerSpace.

Students in the Santa Clarita Valley are offered a wide-variety of programs in their local schools to support career pathways, starting in junior high and continuing throughout high school and beyond. Any interested Hart District family should reach out to their college and career specialist or career coach at their school site, or contact outreach@canyons.edu. Additionally, College of the Canyons is offering a new course called MFGT112 Introduction to Manufacturing Technology.

Here some local resources to help get your students prepared for rewarding careers of the future:
Hart District Pathways to My Future
Career Training Education at College of the Canyons
Centers for Applied Competitive Technology
Here to Career Mobile App

Related: Advanced Manufacturing Careers Aren’t Dying, They’re Evolving

A fun takeaway from today’s event was when guitar fabricator and owner at LSL Instruments was asked how to space the frets on his guitars…”Some old Greek guy named Pythagoras did the math for us on that one. So yes, we use the Pythagorean Theorem to build our guitars.”

Manufacturing Day is an annual event that takes place in early October. For more information visit this website.