Purdue works with industry to teach 3D printing to high school students
“We saw a report from the state of Indiana saying that one of the biggest workforce problems is that students are graduating from high school, and have no idea what to do next,” said Alex Chortos, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. “We set out to do something about it.”
As part of a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation, Alex investigated outreaches to high school students that incorporated 3D printing and additive manufacturing. That’s when he found Mike Vasquez, founder and CEO of 3Degrees, a South Bend-based consulting company focused on additive manufacturing.
“We frequently get feedback from our clients about how they love additive manufacturing, but struggle to find enough workers,” Vasquez said. “They would say, ‘we love this technology, but we can’t find enough qualified people to run the machines, and we don’t know where to train new people.’”
Vasquez started the Advanced Manufacturing eXperience (AMx), a free 8-week training program in the Chicago area to equip the local workforce with the skills needed to onramp to additive manufacturing careers. “Initially we were teaching mostly adults,” he said. “Then Alex reached out to us and asked if we could adapt AMx into a program for high school students.”
Chortos had been teaching 3D printing to high school students as part of Purdue’s Summer College for High School Students program. So the two decided to join forces. Chortos funded Vasquez’s next cohort of AMx, which taught 3D printing basics to a group of 11 high school students at the Robinson Community Learning Center in South Bend, Indiana.
“We wanted to make this as relatable to the real world as possible,” Vasquez said. “In addition to the technical aspects of 3D printing, we also teach the basics of showing up on time, paying attention, and communicating to a group. As a class we toured several local South Bend manufacturers actively using 3D printing. One of these companies, Viewrail, manufactures custom stairs, and we challenged the students to come up with prototypes for 3D printed connectors similar to those they’d see in the field. Another project required students to create a nametag holder for Four Winds Casino and Entertainment Center."
“Ideally, we want to reach kids who are a little unsure of their future,” he continued. “Alex’s class at Purdue is great for kids who already have an engineering mindset. But we want AMx to reach kids who may have never thought about manufacturing as a career pathway.”
Their first class in South Bend was a rousing success. One student wrote: “The AMx course was an incredible experience that brought advanced manufacturing to life. Building our own 3D printers and working on real industry projects gave us hands-on insight into the future of technology. I learned how the rapid testing opportunities that 3D printing provides is not only efficient but also makes the design process much more enjoyable. The tours and industry exposure showed us how what we’re learning can have a real impact, and it’s exciting to think about where these skills could take us.”
“Our hope is to solve two problems,” Chortos said. “For high school students who don’t know what to do next, this gives them a direction and a ready-made set of skills. And for Mike, whose manufacturing clients are struggling to find employees, this gives them a pipeline of pre-skilled workers. It’s the best of both worlds.”
Vasquez will be running a second iteration of the course in South Bend starting in early 2025. He will be hosting an open house in December for students who would like to learn more about the industry and perhaps take the next class. "We welcome industry participants who are interested in giving guest talks or facility tours, as well as hosting internships," he said. "We're always looking to make this program even better!"
Source: Alex Chortos, achortos@purdue.edu; Mike Vasquez, mike@vasquezengineeringconsulting.com
Writer: Jared Pike, jaredpike@purdue.edu, 765-496-0374