Ivy Tech Franklin to add high school manufacturing lab

At Ivy Tech Community College’s Franklin campus, 2023 marked the start of something new: high school freshmen walking the halls.

The Whiteland Community High School ninth graders simulated manufacturing work on an assembly line with a skill boss machine. Using the machine, they positioned sensors to move blocks, making adjustments if the block didn’t move or moved too slowly.

The six students are the first to take part in an advanced manufacturing class as part of a four-year program that could land them an associate degree before they leave high school. Now, Ivy Tech officials are using a $25,000 American Water Charitable Foundation Workforce Readiness grant to further expand the program with an advanced manufacturing lab opening in time for the fall semester.

The lab will include industry-grade equipment including programmable logic controllers and skill bosses for training in advanced manufacturing, electrical and mechanical engineering, mechatronics, automation and processing, said Stephanie Amos, vice chancellor at Ivy Tech’s Franklin campus.

Center Grove, Whiteland and Greenwood high schools have shown interest in the program, which would include two years of advanced manufacturing classes leading to work with industry partners such as NSK, Endress+Hauser, and Caterpillar to supplement classes junior and senior year, she said.

Whiteland students are currently taking classes at the Franklin campus and Greenwood students will start taking the classes in the fall when the lab fully opens provided there is enough interest. Center Grove students will take the first two years of classes at their school before attending Ivy Tech their junior and senior year, school officials said.

Center Grove officials first brought up the idea of a high school class with associate degree potential to Ivy Tech officials, who agreed to host it because of the demand for skilled manufacturers in Johnson County, said Tricia Ferguson, the school’s assistant principal.

“We had a very successful early college program where students could get their associate’s degree in general studies through Vincennes (University),” she said. “As we worked through the last decade with our community partners, we knew having a skilled workforce for our manufacturing partners in Johnson County was a struggle for them.”

For Endress+Hauser, which is planning a $33 million expansion on Greenwood’s south side, finding skilled employees is especially important, said Nicole Otte, the company’s director of workforce development.

If they complete the program, they would earn an associate degree in industrial technology with a focus in automation and robotics. Endress+Hauser will then reimburse their tuition if they work full time for the company while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering, she said.

“We feel like the partnerships and connections built with the local school community is very positive,” Otte said. “Four to five years ago we were having hard times finding candidates for apprenticeships. I feel like this program will be another opportunity to reach out to students to get them excited at a young age.”

When the advanced manufacturing lab opens in the fall, adult workers will be able to use it in the evenings for job training as students are out of school, she said.

“An added benefit for us as employers is if we want the current workforce to skill up, we can send those employees there for a skill growth opportunity,” Otte said.

Students in the program have started the semester by learning about safety regulations from The Occupational Safety and Health Administration. While it might not seem like the most exciting topic, it’s vital foundational knowledge students need to have before they can deal with heavy machinery, said Jason Seals, who teaches the advanced manufacturing class.

For Whiteland High School freshman Talvir Sahota, who developed an interest in cars at a young age, the opportunity to take the course at Ivy Tech furthered his passion, he said.

“(It helps if) I don’t have to go to college as much and can have experience under my belt to get a job early,” Sahota said. “This earns me some money as well through a paid apprenticeship.”

The class will also help freshman Harrison Garrett continue something that’s been passed down through generations.

“My grandpa was an engineer and he was always telling me I should (be one) too. I liked cars but I didn’t want to just be a mechanic,” Garrett said. “I won’t have to go to as much college but I could still go for four years and get an even bigger degree. I’m sure it’ll be fun, just the knowledge about engineering and just learning something new every day.”

The program is mutually beneficial for students and local industry partners, Amos said.

“It will help our workforce. Manufacturing partners will find the talent they need and students will come out with skills from Ivy Tech,” she said. “Local employers can reinforce what they’re learning in the classroom. It will create relationships with students so they know what the workforce is like. It will help with (employee) retention and will give students an additional pathway.”