The Resource of Trained Automation Support Personnel - Almost Empty
The Automation Learning Pipe
WHAT IS A LEARNPIPE?
A pipe conveys something from a source to a destination or destinations. An excellent example would be the public water supply system from which your home probably consumes water.
The system has a source, a temporary storage location to guarantee continuous availability, a distribution network and destination at several locations on your property, inside and outside of your home.
Unfortunately, in the realm of industrial manufacturing, the extent of the planning to support the technologies that are showing up on the plant floor on a daily basis does not go beyond sending a request to a favorite recruiter to provide them with the appropriate personnel. This is analogous to opening the faucet at your kitchen sink, fully expecting a nice tall glass of cool fresh water to quench your thirst without having planned ahead of time to have running water. We tend to think of the source as the water tower, but you realize that you knew it was a river or lake or aquifer, without being totally conscious of that fact. You should already be way ahead of me on this illustration.
The reservoir or water tower is the pool of recent graduates. The recruiters and human resource departments are the distribution system and the consumers are the businesses that purchase technologies that need integration and support. How do individuals get into the reservoir of appropriately trained people? What is the force that lifts/pushes them out of the masses against gravity and into the reservoir? Gravity is the educational system, which is not an upward motive force but is a downward force. Gravity, or the educational system, is a force that the learner has to overcome to arrive in the reservoir and then a force that pushes them out with a skill set that may or may not be marketable. However, I would not blame the educational system. To blame the educational system would be like blaming a control system for not knowing what features were needed for your application. Controllers are tools in automation systems and educators are tools in the educational system. There are educators in the system who are well tuned into this problem and ready to act. They are typically institutions that receive support from private industry and therein are influenced.
Again, what is the force that motivates the learner up through an education pipe and into the reservoir of graduates? Inspiration, of course, and therein lies the root of the problem. The number of young people today that have an interest in technical careers is embarrassingly insufficient to sustain the current production rates, much less any hint of growth. Who should be embarrassed? Any manufacturer that needs technical personnel that is not investing in the inspiration of youth at the source should be embarrased. There are a number of companies and corporations that do invest in programs like Science Olympiad, FIRST Lego League and FIRST Robotics Competition, not to mention many others. They are the weak force that pulls learners through the LearnPipe; they provoke inspiration while they simultaneously provide attraction or pull up the pipe, weak because there are not enough of them, but successful nonetheless. Once a young learner is inspired, assist them or get out of the way.
Just in case I missed a few details in my illustration, the source is not just people, but it is inspired people. The pipe to the reservoir is the available education resources, the reservoir is the pool of properly trained graduates and the distribution system is almost irrelevant. You fill up the reservoir with the appropriate skill sets and they will find their way to the positions of responsibility.
In summary; the Automation LearnPipe is the process flow of people from the originating point of interest to the pool (reservoir) of qualified engineers/technicians/electricians. As of this writing, January 2018, the reservoir is down to the rust sediment and the Automation LearnPipe has less than 20% of the demand resident (in process). The solution has two points of action: inspire people into the Automation LearnPipe as the long term action and retrofit the currently available workforce to support the existing automation as the short term action. How do you inspire people into the Automation LearnPipe? IMF (Inspirational Motive Force).
IMF (Inspirational Motive Force)
IMF (INSPIRATIONAL MOTIVE FORCE) LONG TERM ACTION
All of us should be involved in the process of providing IMF(Inspirational Motive Force) to the youth of the world, or at least to the youth of your locale.
Here are the most prominent programs for imparting IMF to young people. The oldest is at the end of this section.
SCIENCE OLYMPIAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zmS3mXt1dc&feature Click on this link to watch the video on YouTube
For the past 30 years, Science Olympiad has led a revolution in science education. What began as a grassroots assembly of science teachers is now one of the premiere science competitions in the nation, providing rigorous, standards–based challenges to nearly 7,000 teams in 50 states. Science Olympiad’s ever-changing line-up of events in all STEM disciplines exposes students to practicing scientists and career choices, and energizes classroom teachers with a dynamic content experience.
FIRST – FOR INSPIRATION AND RECOGNITION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
FRC – FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION
Mission – FRC’s mission is to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering and technology skills, that inspire innovation, and that foster well-rounded life capabilities, including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
Dean Kamen is an inventor, entrepreneur, and tireless advocate for science and technology. His passion and determination to help young people discover the excitement and rewards of science and technology are the cornerstones of FIRST(For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
FIRST was founded in 1989 to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology. Based in Manchester, NH, the 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit public charity designs accessible, innovative programs that motivate young people to pursue education and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math, while building self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills.
https://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc
FIRST LEGO LEAGUE
FLL introduces younger students to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface. FLL teams, guided by their imaginations and adult coaches, discover exciting career possibilities, and through the process, learn to make positive contributions to society.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNa4perHN5c&feature=youtube
Elementary and middle-school students get to:
- Design, build, test and program robots using LEGO MINDSTORMS? technology
- Apply real-world math and science concepts
- Research challenges facing today’s scientists
- Learn critical thinking, team-building and presentation skills
- Participate in tournaments and celebrations
What FLL teams accomplish is nothing short of amazing. It’s fun. It’s exciting, and the skills they learn will last a lifetime.
FIRST TECH CHALLENGE
FTC is designed for students in grades 7-12 to compete head to head, using a sports model. Teams are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and is programmed using a variety of languages. Teams, including coaches, mentors and volunteers, are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles. Awards are given for the competition, as well as for community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments.
Students get to:
- Design, build, and program robots
- Apply real-world math and science concepts
- Develop problem-solving, organizational, and team-building skills
- Compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments
- Earn a place in the World Championship
- Qualify for over $13 million in college scholarships
https://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc
JUNIOR FIRST LEGO LEAGUE
For children ages 6-9, Junior FIRST? LEGO? League (Jr.FLL?) captures young children’s curiosity and directs it toward discovering the wonders of science and technology. This program features a real-world scientific concept to be explored through research, teamwork, construction, and imagination. Guided by adult Coaches, teams use LEGO? bricks to build a model that moves and develop a Show Me Poster to illustrate their journey.
Children get to:
- Design and build a challenge-related model using LEGO? components
- Create a Show Me Poster and practice presentation skills
- Explore challenges facing today’s scientists
- Discover real-world math and science
- Begin developing teamwork skills
- Choose to participate in expos and showcases
- Engage in team activities guided by Jr.FLL Core Values
https://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/jr.fll
Each of these programs vary slightly in their goals and objectives. Whereas some of them are geared for those already interested in math and science, FIRST was originally targeted at the spectators at the competitions. Young people watch an NBA game and when it is over, go out in the driveway, toss the ball around and dream of slam dunking the ball like Michael Jordon or LeBron James. FIRST Robotics Competition did not care who built the robots as long as the teams showed up with a competitive robot and put on an inspirational event for all of the youth in the audience; hence, when the youth return to school, they query the teachers about the competition and how they can get on a team, and they become inspired to learn science and math because their teachers inform them that science and math are what the robots are all about. It is worth mentioning that the technical challenge of the FIRST teams is only a portion of the overall opportunity for the team members. The challenges, include running an organization (management), running a business with a budget (accounting), promoting the team (marketing), graphic design (art), as well as community outreach and volunteerism… and the list goes on and on. The most prestigious award (the Chairman’s Award) in the event has nothing to do with the robot and everything to do with community.
Chairman's Award, the highest award.
PINEWOOD DERBY
This began in the early fifties to accommodate satisfying the interest of young people that were not old enough to compete in the Soap Box Derby.
The first Pinewood Derby? was held in 1953 by Cub Scout Pack 280C of Manhattan Beach, California, operated by the North American Aviation Management Club. It was the brainchild of Cubmaster Donald Murphy. The derby, publicized in Boys’ Life in October 1954, was an instant and enduring hit. The magazine offered plans for the track and car, which featured “four wheels, four nails, and three blocks of wood.”
The rules of the very first race stated: “The Derby is run in heats – two to four cars starting by gravity from a standstill on a track and run down a ramp to a finish line unaided. The track is an inclined ramp with wood strips down the center to guide the cars.” The cars still roll that way today.
This is really for kids.
This is just a portion of the community whose goal is to impart IMF (Inspirational Motive Force). It is all about the youth and not about the volunteers. Those of us that volunteer for these programs are thankful for the opportunity to serve something much greater than ourselves.
If you cannot find any of these in your locale, comment on your location and we will find one. OR… you can start your own. You will have too much fun!!!
The other action mentioned was the short term, that is to retrofit the current workforce. There are plenty of people available who have a strong interest in learning.
RETROFITTING THE CURRENT WORKFORCE
Many of us were blessed with a sense of self determination, but this is not the case for everyone. It is erroneous to conclude that those we see as accomplished have had all of it handed to them from their early childhood. This would be to assume that they attended the best schools, were allowed study free from work and chores, were provided convenient transportation, had encouraging family and friends, a healthy diet and access to organized sports. Although there are accomplished individuals that came from that environment, history shows us that the most accomplished had very little, if any, of those benefits. There are only two things that an individual needs from either extreme of childhood environments and everything in-between; they need an interestand they need to believe that they can do it.
Conventional wisdom says, “Get your education and build a career before you start real life”. I have met more people from without than within this category. I myself dropped out of high school and enlisted in the Marine Corp. for four years, continued my technical education in the military and spent thirteen months in Viet Nam in a combat zone learning first hand about leadership and teamwork. I finished high school in the evenings on the military base while married with two children. None of this stopped me from learning and building a career; it just made it more interesting. I had learned to read, write and exercise math up through algebra and geometry in high school, I had an interest in electricity/electronics, and I knew that I could do whatever I decided that I wanted to do. As I pursued my “interest”, I discovered where my knowledge was insufficient and enrolled in college courses to fill those gaps. The more I learned, the more I discovered things that I did not know, and the more courses I completed to satisfy the voids. I earned an associates degree and yet the thirst grew stronger resulting in more and more college courses until I had surpassed a Bachelors degree. At 66 years old, the thirst has not abated.
If the workforce cannot read, write and exercise basic math effectively, then this is were you start. Children and adults do not learn in the same way; children have very little in the way of experiential knowledge and have to be approached accordingly. Adults learn with an approach that considers and utilizes their experiences. K through 12 teachers do not normally make good adult educators. Therefore, your fundamental skills programs must be built on practical applications and not theory. The instructors must be effective purveyors of word pictures appropriate for the learners; they must be tuned-in to the real world and challenges of adults.
Once the employees have the basic tools of learning, they need the opportunity to learn. This goes beyond thumbtacking a document on the plant bulletin board that outlines the requirements for tuition reimbursement. I have spent at least 10 years on the plant floor as an electrical controls engineer. Without exception, when there is money for training, it is because production is up and there is no time for training. Consequently, when production is down there are not funds budgeted for training. In a nutshell, when there is money there is no time and when there is time there is no money. As absurd as that sounds to some, it is true nonetheless. This mindset is the fruit of stockholder pressure for high dividends and is very shortsighted. This means that the employees must be proactive and invest their own money to get the training. This investment in one’s own skill set, then, is the individual’s property and not that of the company for whom they work. Consequently, it is theirs to take with them to another company without compunction towards loyalty to their present employer. Companies are seldom loyal to their employees and what goes around comes around; neither are the employees loyal to the company. I must mention that I have worked for companies that are very loyal to their employees, and as a result, the turn around is very small, and most who leave eventually ask to come back.
I personally have spent thousands of dollars out of my own pocket to gain the knowledge that I needed to do what I wanted to do. I wait for no one, and it has paid off tenfold. Back when $16K was a decent annual income, I quit the path that I was on to reposition myself in the job market. The following year my income was less than $8K, half of the previous year. I sought out every possible opportunity to learn the skills required of my new target and a year later, my annual income was $32K. I was to do that again 5 or 6 years later and my income jumped to $60K. I am on my fourth career. Can anyone do that? If I could do it, anyone can do it. Given that you have an interest and believe that you can do it, there are only two factors that will stop you, debt and comfort.
Debt means selling your future for the present wants. Getting out of debt means buying the future back by abstaining from the wants of this moment. Debt means that you have to work overtime and does not allow evenings and weekends for class and study. I do not care who you are, get out of debt immediately and you will never be sorry. Debt free atmosphere is must fresher and less toxic.
Comfort and fear of change may be synonymous. I am still pondering that one. Let me give you an example of being afraid of letting go of what you have in your hands today. It is said that there is a method of capturing monkeys using this fear. The captor either finds a hole in a tree trunk or carves a hole that is just large enough into which a monkey can squeeze its hand. The interior of the hole is enlarged, but not the opening, to allow a little more interior space. The captor places a few tasty morsels or seeds into the interior of the hole, then sits back and waits. Along comes the un-suspecting monkey, who discovers the treat, much to its delight, and squeezes its hand into the hole. Once it has its hand into the larger interior chamber, it can grasp the treat to extract it. To the monkey’s surprise, it cannot remove its hand without releasing the newly discovered treasure. A smart monkey might even release the treasure, extract its hand and study the matter, but eventually it will stick its hand back into the hole and again struggle with the smaller opening. Once the monkey gets determined that it is going to get out the treats one way or the other, the captor shows up, the monkey screams and pulls all the harder, but it will not let go of what it has for something better… freedom. You must be willing to let go of what you have to gain something better.
Adults usually have a life of some sort and cannot adjust it to accommodate the convenience of educational institutions. These institutions have convenienced the adjunct faculty that typically deliver these evening courses on industrial automation. This creates a two-fold barrier between the adult learner and the learning resource. There are some that can adjust their evenings to include these adult education courses that will build their skill set for the workplace. However, the pace of these courses never fits more than 20-30% of the learners… too fast, too slow or too much time between classes. For these learners, they will find their training on the world wide web, or the internet as some refer to it. There is no end to what you can learn from websites. There are three important things that you need in a classroom, virtual or otherwise: lectures, exercises and discussions. The lectures as video segments, an exercise document, and a forum/blog for discussion provide the complete learning environment.
There you have it… interest, inspiration, self determination, basic learning tools and opportunity!!!
Where can you contribute in this process? Where are you in this process?
Your Contribution
Interest, inspiration, self determination, basic learning tools and opportunity… Which of these can you influence, within or without?
Interest begins with a “Curiosity”…
A curiosity is an ungerminated “seed of interest” that needs a little external love to sprout into an “interest” that is actively seeking nourishment (knowledge). All curiosities have an initial moment but do not necessarily germinate into an “interest” immediately. I honestly believe that these curiosities are a gift. Ask anyone around you, “Have you ever wondered how a television works?” Not everyone will respond with “yes, I always wondered how those crazy things work!” Some will respond with, “It never entered my mind”, or something close to that. Everyone has curiosities but they are different for each individual; each person has been gifted with curiosities. The source of these gifts is another topic and not part of this subject. Someone else has provided the seeds; we just need to provide the initial elements to germinate them.
Everyone has curiosity. You might take the “left brain, right brain” approach to explaining the category of an individual’s seeds of curiosity. I choose to believe the seeds of curiosity are gifted, and we are identified as “left brain, right brain” based upon the curiosities that have germinated into an interest.
If you took the time to watch some of the videos from Part Two of this discussion, you learned that within the environment of a FIRST team, everyone has an opportunity to express their curiosities in the form of an interest. This could be the initial moment of a curiosity, a need to nourish a sprouted curiosity, or even to nurture a growing interest. On some occasions, it is all three within a short span of time, within several hours. Some participants are drawn to the call for social reasons and had no interest in anything other than the other people who themselves already had an interest. These attendees, for social reasons, will discover additional interests in the process.
CONNECTING INFORMATION WITH CURIOSITY
Pinewood derby is a good place to start if you want a manifestation of curiosity within a group. Many corporations use a type of pinewood derby to identify their employees’ interest and as a team building exercise. What makes this approach so successful is the richness of the “seeing is believing” examples available to demonstrate with a track and a couple of rolling chassis. If you do not think that there can be a lot of serious science behind pinewood derby, check out this website.
https://www.pinewoodderbyphysics.com/index.shtml
Or… click on this link and download Lecture 1a and Lecture 1b, the first of 26 lectures on the physics of pinewood derby cars.
https://www.pinewoodderbyphysics.com/LecturesCub.shtml
Although you would not present this information as it is to any and all age groups, the fundamentals are there for you to forge into word pictures and real life examples, not to mention actual “eyes on” demonstrations in front of your group. The published book is not free but the lectures are free, in PDF format.
The most classic of physical demonstrations available with a track and two cars is that of two objects falling, one heavier than the other, but both arriving at the ground surface simultaneously. This must be done with a track that has a slope and a horizontal section.
- Build two light weight cars of identical design, polish the axles and wheel hubs, and tweak the weight on the slowest car to speed it up until they arrive at the finish line simultaneously.
- On both cars, bore holes to mount two short vertical pegs, one just behind the front axles and the other just forward of the rear axles. Double check the equality of the two cars with another trip down the track, alternating lanes to verify total equality.
- Add an ounce of weight on the front peg of one car and race them. Within reason, they will both reach the horizontal section of the track simultaneously, but the car with extra weight will pull ahead of the other.
- Swap the weight from one car to the other and race again to prove the concept.
- With an ounce of added weight on the front peg of both cars, race again.
- Move the ounce of extra weight from the front peg to the rear peg on only one of the cars and race again.
The moral of the story here is that two objects of equal shape and surface characteristics will arrive at the ground surface simultaneously, but the heavier of the two will reach the surface with more force. In addition to that, the higher the point from which an object is released, the greater the force it will have when it reaches the surface. If you are not that familiar with the concepts and language of physics, enlist someone who is. As you need to add elements to your event that you cannot support, enlist people. Everyone has something to offer.
Look for an event or any opportunity to germinate a curiosity. If you cannot find one, create one, and invite one and all; everyone has something to share and everyone has something to learn.