PBN Manufacturing Awards 2021
Collaboration in Manufacturing: William M. Davies Jr. Career & Technical High School
The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t stopped students at William M. Davies Jr. Career & Technical High School in Lincoln from gaining hands-on, work-based learning experiences at manufacturing sites throughout Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts.
The graduating seniors in Davies’ nine career-based concentration areas have already logged more than 20,000 hours of off-site work experience so far this school year, according to Susan Votto, the school’s supervisor of career and technical education.
“It’s about building relationships with industry people and listening to what their needs are and adapting our curriculum so we’re meeting those needs,” Votto said.
Since 2017, the school’s number of work-based learning partnerships has increased by 60%, she said.
The school’s Center for Advanced Manufacturing includes shops in electrical and renewable energy, biomanufacturing technology, machine technology and pre-engineering technology.
Students focusing on manufacturing have worked at West Warwick-based data visualization technology company AstroNova Inc., Lincoln-based grinding and cutting tool maker Bullard Abrasives and Providence-based badge and insignia producer Hook Fast Specialties. Students were also placed at Tracey Gear, Arch Global Precision, and Yushin America Inc.
Davies also has a strong ongoing partnership with the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association, which has helped its administrators connect with employers throughout the state.
“Davies has always placed students off-site into companies,” Votto said. “We feel that’s the most authentic way of students experiencing workplace learning.”
Students are required to complete at least 80 hours of work-based learning before they graduate. Many of the jobs are paid, with rates ranging from $12 to $16 per hour. And it’s not uncommon for students to receive a full-time job offer from their employer once they’ve graduated.
Zion Xavier, a senior studying machine technology, typically works from 3 to 9 p.m. at High Tech Stamping in Attleboro. His job involves performing quality control-related tasks for the company’s earring parts manufacturing.
Xavier, who lives in Central Falls, typically works about 30 hours a week and makes $16 per hour. His work-based learning experience has allowed him to apply concepts he has studied in the classroom and confirm that the field is a good fit for him, he said.
“It’s great because it gets you started off with a real job early, rather than figuring out what you want to do after you graduate,” he said.
At least 94% of the high school’s graduates leave with industry certifications, Votto said. Non-manufacturing concentration areas include health careers, automotive, hospitality, and graphics and interactive media.
The many industry partners that work with Davies, including those on its advisory board, help shape the curriculum. In recent years, the school has started placing more emphasis on “work-readiness skills,” including professionalism, collaboration, critical thinking and communication.
Students also receive industry-specific safety training to prepare for work outside of the classroom. For instance, sophomores studying biomanufacturing, electrical and renewable energy, and machine technology can become certified in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Outreach Training Program.
Strong COVID-19 protocols have allowed students to remain in Davies’ classrooms and participate in its work-based learning programs this school year. The high school reopened in September with various measures, including the required use of a symptom-screening app, thermal cameras at each entrance of the school and strict social-distancing guidelines.
Students currently receive distance learning instruction on Mondays, attend in-person classes two days a week and complete asynchronous work the other two weekdays. For many students, that’s in addition to working part-time businesses throughout the state.
“The companies have been really flexible this year, which we are grateful for,” Votto said.
