City of Lakewood announcement.
LAKEWOOD, Wash. — Students are encouraged to reach for the sky when considering their future. In the Aerospace Manufacturing and Engineering course taught at Lakes High School, they have the opportunity to take that advice literally.
The course provides students with the chance to gain real-world skills and hands-on experience to prepare them for a career working at the Boeing Co. or other aerospace manufacturing companies by learning riveting, wiring, robotics, blueprint reading and other important technical skills.
Aerospace Manufacturing is part of the Core Plus program of study that began as a collaboration between Boeing and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to create new career opportunities for high school students. Industry professionals helped design curriculum intended to prepare students to enter a new career right out of high school.
“The course gives students a direct connection to an industry they are interested in working in,” said Career and College Readiness Director Diane Carver. “They can be confident they are learning relevant skills that will make them career ready because of the support provided by industry leaders during the course design process.”
Aerospace Manufacturing is the culmination of a two-year course of study that also serves as a graduation pathway for students as they work toward earning their high school diploma. Completion of the Aerospace Manufacturing course can also earn students a certificate of competency that will give them a leg up on the hiring market once they graduate.
Students also have the opportunity to earn college credit by completing the course. While the hands-on experiences offer students a direct connection between the classroom and their future career, the most useful lessons the course provides is its focus on problem solving and critical thinking skills.
“Not every student enrolled in this course is going to continue on to a career in manufacturing, but that doesn’t mean what they’re learning isn’t useful to them,” said Lakes Aerospace Manufacturing Teacher Scott Noe. “A big part of manufacturing is solving problems, so one of my big priorities is ensuring that my students finish the course feeling confident in problem solving, whether those problems are simple, complex, big or small.”
Noe also highlighted the course’s emphasis on teaching students about various tools and ways to use them. Students who never even consider working in manufacturing gain knowledge that will help them work on projects at home.
Whether students are intent on reaching for the sky or simply learning which tool to reach for when something breaks, Aerospace Manufacturing offers a chance to develop and refine unique skills.
