Shop Rat Endorses SME Youth Programs

The Shop Rat Foundation, an organization in Pleasant Lake, Michigan dedicated to the advancing the skilled trade industries by offering hands-on education programs for young people, has endorsed successful national youth programs offered by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) Education Foundation.

The broader educational goal of these industry collaborations is to address the need for a skilled workforce by offering a full range of technology-based curriculum designed to appeal to young people. Initial plans are to introduce new curriculum at youth-based engineering programs offered by the SME Education Foundation.

SME and Shop Rat share a hands-on learning philosophy, with programs based on honing student skill sets in math, engineering, science and technology. Shop Rat Foundation students complete projects such as custom built motorcycle choppers, mousetrap catapults, and full-size, two-seat hovercrafts. Conversely, students attending SME youth programs brainstorm ideas, solve problems and learn the basics of engineering concepts involving robotics, electronics and aerodynamics. They then build and operate their own robotic vehicles, gliders and rockets.

“We need to provide vital hands-on experiences and deflect the negative perception that is causing the current shortage of skilled workers, says Bart Aslin, director of the SME Education Foundation. “The Shop Rat Foundation’s endorsement reflects the scope of the programs we offer.”

For more information from The Shop Rat Foundation, visit www.ShopRat.org.

For more information from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, visit www.sme.org.