Yaskawa Motoman Educates Students About Automation Career Paths
In celebration of National Robotics Week, they hosted and provided facility tours for students from local high schools, universities and career centers.
Posted: April 25, 2017
In 2010, Congress officially designated the second full week of April as National Robotics Week, and 2017 commemorates the eighth year for National Robotics Week. Its purpose is to increase public awareness of the growing importance of robotics as a key technology for our nation’s economy. More importantly, it aims to nurture interest in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) disciplines among students.
In celebration of National Robotics Week, Yaskawa Motoman (Dayton, OH) provided facility tours for student groups from local high schools, universities and career centers. Attendees had the opportunity to see live robotics demonstrations and learn about the future careers they could have in automation. The company hosted approximately 400 students. Schools, universities and career centers represented include:
- Brookville Intermediate School
- Dayton Early College Academy
- Grant Career Center
- Horizon Science Academy
- Lakota Local School
- Ohio Northern University
- Project Lead the Way Program
- Tolles Career and Technical Center
- Troy Christian High School
- West Carrollton High School
- Wright State University
“It was a great event and one that I am sure helped several to select appropriate career choices for their future,” shared Tobin Huebner, the engineering design instructor at Grant Career Center (Bethel, OH). “Upon stopping for lunch, the students could not order efficiently, as they were talking ‘shop’ about what they saw and wanted to do with their new-found knowledge.”
“We are playing an active role in workforce development by creating career pathways for students in robotics and advanced manufacturing. We are helping to fill the job gap and growing our economy by providing opportunities for schools to participate in co-op programs and internships for students, conducting tours of our facility and supporting regional and events like National Robotics Week,” said Bob Graff, the senior sales manager of education for Yaskawa Motoman, which is dedicated to helping advance the career paths of the next generation of industrial automation workers. Pursuing an educational path of STEM courses will impact not only a student’s career, but also the future of industry in the United States.