SHELBY — Maddox Barker plucked a pair of gray tubes from the box and held them between his fingertips.
The tubes were long and thin, about the size of pencils. He examined at the series of gauges and valves on the metal box in front of him, then popped them in one end at a time.
“This is a pneumatic system,” explained Barker, a freshman in the new Industry 4.0 class at Shelby High School. “It uses compressed air to operate industrial components like cylinders, motors, gauges, et cetera.”
While Barker demonstrated the pneumatic motor, his classmates were operating robotic arms, troubleshooting on an electric relay control system and taking digital courses on precision measuring.
Hands-on, experiential learning is a hallmark of S.T.E.M. learning. The new Industry 4.0 lab at Shelby High School is no exception. Students can try their hand at hydraulics, robotics and electrical systems, with new state-of-the-art training machines.
The equipment and renovations were paid for with a $1.16 million Career Technical Education Equipment grant from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
ArcelorMittal, which has a steel tube manufacturing facility in Shelby, donated two pieces of equipment and offered employer insight on the programming.
Posters around the room break down various career options at ArcelorMittal with a basic description of the job, starting salary and recommended certifications.
“We’re proud of our longstanding relationship and partnership with Shelby Schools in general and now to support the manufacturing lab,” said Rick Gruver, general manager at ArcelorMittal’s Shelby plant.
“This isn’t just about donating or funding for us. This is about investing in our community’s future and bridging the gap from education to industrial manufacturing.”
Industry 4.0 refers to the Fourth Industrial Revolution — a term used to describe the transformation of modern manufacturing to include the use of smart technology, cloud computing and analytics, the Internet of Things, AI and machine learning.
The lab is housed in the former high school library and media center, which Principal John Gies said was, “the most underutilized room in the building.” The books have been redistributed to shelves throughout the building.
Gies said the goal of the Industry 4.0 lab is to help students explore career options available in the manufacturing field and leave equipped with the skills to enter the workforce after graduation.
Buckeye Educational Systems, a Mansfield-based manufacturer’s representative specializing in educational technology and curriculum, helped Shelby develop its lab and programming.
“The first course is introduction to mechatronics, which really teaches them the fundamental systems — electrical, mechanical, fluid power, those types of things,” Jason Hoffman, vice president of Buckeye Educational Systems.
“In the second course, we teach them how those things come together —how electrical works with mechanical, how it works with automation and IT and all those different aspects.”
Students said they enjoy the hands-on aspect of Industry 4.0 classes and learning real-world skills.
Tracy Montgomery, Shelby’s college and career coordinator, said she’s seen the class boost students’ confidence.
“There’s so many students that have always felt like they’re not smart. But really, they are. They’re genius. They just prefer hands on learning,” she said. “You put them in front of machines and just watch them excel.”
As students continue through the program, they will be able to specialize in areas that interest them by earning industry-recognized microcredentials.
Hoffman said the 18 credentials Shelby offers will transfer to most, if not all, manufacturing jobs across Ohio. But the school’s goal is to also to show students the opportunities that exist in their own backyard.
“We’re trying to build community with these labs so that students see, ‘I don’t have to move away from Shelby in order to get a good job,'” he said.
While school officials say the credentials will prepare students to enter the workforce right after high school, they can also be leveraged toward a college degree.
“We don’t want to say credentials are just your alternative to graduation,” Hoffman said. “We want them to see that every opportunity exists.”