UCC Manufacturing Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) students participated in completing their Innovative, Creativity, and Entrepreneurship Training. We partnered with BDM Mill Wrights Inc, in Chatham to provide the students an opportunity to take a real life problem and learn how to find a solution. The challenge was focused on the transportation of vehicles coming in and out of the facility for different purposes; employee parking, transports loading and unloading, storage of material, and safety of employees walking around the site.
During our visit students were introduced to the problem and were allowed to take pictures and ask questions to Kelly Murphy (part owner) concerning the problem. There were items that limited their solutions, such as budget, Chatham Bylaws, future expansion, and safety. The students were instantly engaged I received an email that same day from Kelly saying how “it was really nice to see a group of students so engaged and interested. They asked some great questions, and had some great ideas.”
The following day students gathered in groups to solve the problem. The day started with a review of the events from the previous day, students then broke into their groups and brainstormed ideas. The next step was to priorities their ideas based on budget and urgency. Once they had a clear plan students moved forward in developing and researching their ideas to present to BDM. During the process some groups realized their ideas wouldn’t work, or after some more research discovered other possible solutions. They continuously improved their plan to consider all the needs outlined and to provide BDM what they believed was the best solution.
At the end of the day the students presented their ideas to BDM. Each group was very confident that they had solved the problem. What was interesting was each group similar in some ways all came up with different solutions. BDM was very impressed. They said the students thought of things they themselves had not considered. Kelly said,
“when you are working every day in an environment
you get into a habit and it’s harder to imagine things
any other way.”
Having the students look at it allowed for a whole new perspective.
When students were asked after how they felt about the challenge, the students main reflections were how they enjoyed doing something for a “real company”. One student explained how he learned how to problem solve and felt it better than other assignments he has done in the past.
“To have the opportunity to solve a problem that someone else
was giving to me, it’s not here do whatever you want with this,
it’s here, this is what we have and
this is exactly what we need.”
Students expressed how the limitations challenged their solutions.
When the training was done the best comment I received came from BDM who said
“Thank you for renewing my faith in our young people again”
Thank you to guest blogger technological studies teacher, Lisa Serruys from UCC in Chatham. She is on twitter as @LisaSerruys
