Two students in the Aerospace Technology program at Eastern Florida State College traveled to Chicago, IL this past week to compete in the SmartForce Student Summit GAP Apprenticeship CNC Competition held at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS 2018) at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL Sept. 10-15, 2018. The students’ participation in the competition was jointly sponsored by MakerTEC, an NSF ATE Coordination Network and aviation/aerospace/advanced manufacturing resource established through Wichita State University Tech by SpaceTEC Partners Inc. (SPI); and the Space Coast Apprenticeship Consortium, an 11-member autonomous subcommittee of aerospace and aviation employers supporting emerging advanced manufacturing and space operations on Florida’s Space Coast.

The students were accompanied by Bryan Kamm, President of Kamm Consulting Group, Odessa, FL, was organizer of the event. Bryan is Lead Consultant for the Space Coast Apprenticeship Consortium. Steve Kane, Executive Director of SPI, which is fiscal sponsor of the Consortium, was also a judge at the event. The other judges included Art Hoelke, Knight Armament Co., Titusville, FL; Kai Schmidt, Airbus OneWeb Satellites, Cocoa, FL; Marty Martin and John Blankenship, Blue Origin, KSC, FL; Hans Faulstich, Machining and CNC Master Instructor, Kamm Consulting Group and Drew Faris, Apprenticeship Program Director, Mubea Corporation, an automobile parts manufacturer in Florence, KY.

In addition to the Eastern Florida students, three students in the CNC Machining program at Lake Mary High School, Orlando, FL and two students in the CNC Machining program at Gateway Community & Technical College, Florence, KY (also employed as apprentices at Mubea) competed in the event.

The Smartforce Student Summit introduces students and teachers from elementary through post-secondary schools to many high-tech manufacturing programs. In partnership with leading education institutions and advanced technology companies such as ABB Robotics, Carl Zeiss, Fanuc America, Festo-Didactic, Haas Automation, Heidenhain, Mastercam, Mitutoyo, and Siemens, the summit featured hands-on challenges for students and Learning Labs for teachers as well as advanced students. Kamm Consulting Group is dedicated to emplacing world-class benchmark standards based on German Apprenticeship Program (GAP) occupational standards in the US to help fill the skills gap.

Kamm Consulting Group is supported by GAP Turnkey Solutions, a collection of education software, tooling and equipment manufacturers who produce some the most precise and capable manufacturing equipment available today. GAP Partners includes FESTO Didactic, Weiler Lathes, Kunzmann Mills, EMCO CNC lathes and the Hoffmann Group, manufacturers of workbenches, storage solutions and related shop equipment; Garant precision vises, Maier precision measurement equipment and Hollex hand tools.

The competition events featured three levels of machining: Job Planning, Benchwork and Layout (cutting/filing/drilling/tapping); Manual Milling, and CNC Programming. Upon completion of a practical exercise, the competitors were qualified to test for NIMS Machining Levels 1, 2 and 3 stackable credentials. The projects the students created during the practical phase of the competition were replicas of the Willis Tower, formerly called the Sears Tower, a famous Chicago landmark. All students successfully passed their respective certification exams.

The winners of each event level were not only awarded custom machinist gauge sets engraved with their names, they were also awarded some of the equipment (work benches and hand tools) they used throughout the competition.

SpaceTEC Partners Inc. (SPI) is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation headquartered in Titusville, FL. SPI is also the Fiscal Sponsor for the Space Coast Apprenticeship Consortium and provides third-party testing as an independent measure of prospective technician job knowledge and skill. In addition, SPI's internationally accredited, industry-driven, nationally-recognized credentials reflect the competencies employers demand for those seeking employment in aerospace, aviation, and advanced manufacturing industries. For more information about SPI programs, call Steve Kane at 321-567-5193.

Kamm Consulting Group, LLC is a Florida-based company that provides site selection consulting for German-speaking companies in the US and assists in GAP (Germanic Apprenticeship Program) implementations within their local communities. For more information about Kamm Consulting, visit www.bkammconsulting.com, or to learn more about the Space Coast Consortium Apprenticeship Program, call Bryan Kamm at 813-415-7514.