Dear Parents, Students, and Families,
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a few days off to spend time with family and friends. One of the best parts of my job is getting to see the kids and staff in action as they learn about the profession they are studying. Last week I was delighted to see Mr. Cadorette’s Manufacturing Technology program students working on a local project. His class was approached by the Co-Founder of a new start-up company in our Mills, Barbara Fiore, CFO (Chief Fermentation Officer) of Tootsies Tempeh. She has been working with the program to develop a prototype and manufacture the specialty pans needed for her company. Although the picture doesn't do justice, students developed a blueprint of her request and then programmed our CNC (Computerized Numerical Controls) machines to make the pan functional for her business. The request came to us because of a supply chain shortage and so we helped to fill the gap. Working with local non-profits and local business is not unusual for our program and provides students with live-work projects that have a purpose in our community. Featured here in this picture are Corbin Millette and Sam Boisvert, students that attend Biddeford High School and Thornton Academy when they are not with us.
We have two full sections for both Manufacturing I and II this year. It is not too early to point out the tremendous financial and educational opportunities this group of students have before them. According to the Association of Career Technology Education (ACTE), more than 80% of manufacturers report a talent shortage will impact their ability to meet customer demand. This was true before COVID and nearly every week I receive a call from a local manufacturing company looking for workers. Many companies also pay college expenses and encourage lifelong learning and advancement in the field.
I should also note, these students have an opportunity to graduate with experience in CNC Machining and FANUC computer programming language which is used to create metal parts to an accuracy of plus or minus the thickness of a sheet of paper. What they start here at BRCOT can lead to multiple career pathways of possibilities in aerospace, military, and manufacturing trades. On another day I watched his class fabricating parts on one of our new CNC machines and bringing math to life in a real-world setting for our students. Biddeford seniors, Tyler Bishop and Corbin Millette patiently explained to me how “cool” it was to use a high-tech machine and basic math to create a sequence of program instructions that resulted in a beautiful multi-faceted piece of metal. They also debunked the myth that you have to be strong in math to take the class. His students commented, "Mr. Cadorette has a way of teaching us math that makes sense and can be applied to what we are doing."
As your son or daughter is planning next year's course selection, perhaps they will consider taking this course that can lead to a rewarding career in manufacturing. Think of this class as learning computer programming to make machines create all sorts of items-jewelry, parts, tools, anything metal! Feel free to contact us for a tour or more information.
Included below is information pertaining to STORM/INCLEMENT WEATHER SCHEDULES, Pool Testing Holiday Schedule, and other Health Updates.
Best regards,
Paulette Bonneau
Director
