Donation gives Hillyard Technical Center students new tools to build machining skills
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- A recent donation is giving students in Hillyard Technical Center’s precision machining program a new opportunity to build their computer and CNC skills.
Students in their first year at Hillyard focus on the basics. They learn manual machining operations, practice measuring, learn how to read prints and build a strong foundation before moving on to more advanced skills.
“In their second year, they come back and learn CNC since we have got several different types of CNC machines which are very handy to have,” said Sam Fields, instructor of Precision Machining.
To get the most out of those machines, students need access to computers and software such as Mastercam. That’s where a recent donation from State Technical College of Missouri comes in.
Fields, who is a State Tech graduate himself, reached out to the school’s machining department to see if they had equipment they could donate as they upgraded their own computers.
“They said they would, so I had to go down and had them picked up, but we still only got one of them set up we still have some more to do, but we are getting there,” he said.
They have a total of 10 computer towers and 20 monitors, allowing students to have dual screens at each workstation, which will make it easier to work with the software and CNC machines.
Fields currently has 15 students between his morning and afternoon classes, made up of both juniors and seniors.
“There’s a lot bigger jump than last year and hopefully we can keep growing to a few more in here up to maybe a full-sized of a program,” he added.
Fields hopes the new computers will give students more experience in the CNC world and help them learn how to use Mastercam before they leave Hillyard. Even if they don’t become experts, he wants them to leave the program with a solid understanding of how the software works and what to expect in the industry.
He already knows the computers will make a difference for the students enrolled in the program
“It can add a whole other thing we can teach these students. We haven’t had this for about five or six years, so it will be a good advancement in the program,” Fields said.
Students interested in joining the program as a sophomore or junior are encouraged to talk with their school counselor about the machining class at Hillyard. Counselors can help students learn more about the program and get enrolled.
