Past and present members of the BHS robotics team, sponsors, coaches and mentors hosted members of the Central Minnesota Manufacturers Association (CMMA) at a conference in the school commons area on Thursday morning.
A group of over 30 CMMA members attended the presentation, which was sponsored by Winkelman Building Corp., along with Rep. Jim Newberger (R-Becker) and other members of the local business community. MCCA President Les Engel was the event moderator, introducing a number of speakers from the organizations involved.
The panel from the Becker robotics team included BHS Asst. Principal and robotics co Head Coach Mark Kolbinger, Robotics Coach Alex Jurek, mentor Russ Girtz, former team member and current NDSU engineering student Ryan Swanson, team member Dani Girtz and FIRST Robotics regional planning chairman Mark Lawrence.
Each of the panel members highlighted a different segment of the robotics experience in which they participated, with emphasis on the skills and values participants are learning that can be transferred to their careers in the workforce. Jurek said that, while many schools are cutting back on vocational programs, Becker is enhancing theirs because of the need for highly-skilled workers in industry.
Elements of the STEM program (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) are vital for the success of manufacturing businesses in the future, he said. Kolbinger stated that the robotics program is an excellent source for recruiting students who have interests and talents in these areas, “even if they do not know it yet.”
Jurek also said that a number of students who have participated in the program have shifted their focus to engineering because of the positive experiences they have had on the team. Kolbinger stated the current 60-member robotics team has an almost 50/50 gender balance, evidence of growing interest in STEM courses among female students.
Lawrence, who was one of the founders of the Edina robotics team, stated there are 190 teams taking part in FIRST Robotics events in Minnesota, more than there are hockey teams in the state.
The presentation area featured the robots which propelled the Becker team to a state title in 2013 and a second-place finish in 2014. Jurek highlighted the fact that their program encourages students to build as many parts of their robots as possible, shunning ready-made systems whenever possible. He also said that workplace safety was a primary lesson learned by each team member, along with quality control and team building during the construction phase each year.
The CMMS operates with three main goals, Engel told the audience, which are membership education, workforce development and legislative advocacy. One of the opportunities discussed was an eight-week session of AME classes (Advanced Manufacturing Education) set to begin in January at the St. Cloud Technical and Community College.
Once the BHS presentations were completed, a tour of the Liberty Paper facility in Becker was also on the agenda. LPI and Xcel Energy were two of the earliest major sponsors to come forward in support of the robotics team.
