Vermont HITEC partners up with Husky to provide opportunities for high school juniors and seniors

Vermont’s population has the second oldest median age, after Maine, with a shrinking younger population, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. The age of Vermont's population continues to shift upward as more and more young Vermonters leave the state in search of greater opportunities. This is where Vermont HITEC comes in...

Vermont HITEC and Husky Injection Molding Systems have teamed up to provide opportunities to high school juniors and seniors in Advanced Manufacturing. The program, Husky Summer Institute, offers 8-week paid internships at Husky's facility in Milton, Vermont to 9 high school juniors and seniors. Students are recruited from over 15 different high schools in Chittenden County. These students receive invaluable work experience in Advanced Manufacturing and up to 17 credits in the Vermont State College System. OBJECTIVETo help teach the skills necessary to create workforce-ready machine technicians. The program provides an opportunity for students to learn a trade while simultaneously getting paid, entering an internship, and earning college credits.

SUMMARYThe program runs over the course of two consecutive summers. The first year enrolls students into the well established CNC Machinist Fundamentals Program and will focus on providing them with a wide breadth of foundational knowledge. The second year of the Summer Institute will expand upon the foundational skills of the first year and provide a greater depth of knowledge using the Advanced CNC Concepts Curriculum currently being used by Husky. Both summer programs will have theoretical components, hands-on projects, and job shadowing throughout Husky.

What Students Learn:

• Computer Numeric Control (CNC) I - G&M Code Programming
• Blueprint Reading with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)
• Machine Tool Math
• Introducing to Inspection
• Machining Processes I
• Introduction to Apprenticeship
• Fundamentals of Tuning, Milling, Inspection, Testing, and Manufacturing Processes
• Computer Aided Design (CAD)

High Schools Represented at Husky Summer Institute include:

• Burlington High School
• Burlington Technical Center
• Center for Technology, Essex (CTE)
• Milton Senior High School
• Bellows Free Academy, St. Albans
• Bellows Free Academy, Fairfax