NORTH LIMA, Ohio – Cameron Schuster, a sixth grader at Poland Middle School, mouthed the word “wow” as supervisor Tyler Lee of Diamond Steel Co. helped him guide the controls of a large telescopic crane and ever so delicately maneuver the load block that dangled from its boom.
“It was, like, scary at first,” Cameron said. “It felt like it was going to tip every time I tried to turn it.” Nevertheless, the experience gave him a better understanding and appreciation of the job of an operating engineer.
“I really liked it,” Cameron added. “These cranes can move really heavy stuff that trucks can’t move and get to higher places.”
Suffice to say, Cameron had never operated a crane before. But he and 25 other students participating in the Valley STEM + ME2 Academy’s Summer Camp were presented with an opportunity to do just that and other hands-on activities at KTSDI LLC on Thursday. The company was among four that summer camp students visited this week to receive firsthand knowledge about positions in mostly STEM-related fields.
The students at KTSDI simultaneously cycled through nine different stations devoted to welding, industrial painting, time management and building, power train engineering, measuring, outdoor crane operation and indoor overhead crane operation. Also on hand were tours of first responder vehicles supplied by the Beaver Township Police Department and Beaver Township Fire Department.
Participating companies during the morning academy included Diamond Steel, Fernstrom Construction, KTSDI, PNC Bank, Kundel Industries, Youngstown Oxygen & Welding and Lincoln Electric.
“The objective is to get a qualified and organized workforce, and get these kids steered toward technology and other avenues,” said Ken Timmings, manager at KTSDI. The students ranged from grades six to eight from various school districts in the Mahoning Valley.
Timmings said KTSDI has hosted more than 20 programs over the years that introduces young people to careers in STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – disciplines. Today’s manufacturing positions require at least some knowledge in these fields.
KTSDI is a small engineering firm that works with North American original equipment manufacturers such as Caterpillar and Freightliner, Timmings said. “We supply them with axles and power train components from some of our partner companies out of Europe,” he said.
The company has also done work with NASA and in the maritime industry, Timmings said.
Jim Antes, director of business development and quoting at Kundel Industries, based in Vienna, was on hand to demonstrate how small workshop cranes operate.
“We’re talking about the ergonomics of a crane and the materials handling industry,” Antes said. Kundel Industries manufactures work station cranes with a capacity of 10 tons, he added. Students at Antes’ station learned how to use hand controls to navigate a small work station crane.
“Part of what they’re learning is the capacity of cranes and what they might see in different factories in the Valley,” Antes said. His company, he noted, is growing and is consistently searching for qualified employees. “This is a starting point for these kids to see and get a taste of what’s out there and opportunities they might be involved with in local manufacturing.”
The Valley STEM + ME2 Academy is part of the Mahoning County Career & Technical Center in Canfield and is designed to guide students to careers through STEM education. Six Valley STEM teachers accompanied the students during the weeklong camp.
“Each day this week, in the morning, we’ve gone out to one of our industry partners where they get 2 1/2 hours to work with professionals to see what they do,” said Mike Lopuchobsky, who teaches robotics, programming and automation at MCCTC and Valley STEM.
Once the morning session is over, students return to MCCTC for lunch and finish the day by working on equipment and engaging in other STEM-related activities, he said.
Among the area businesses students visited this week include Humtown Products in Boardman, REM Electronics in Warren and Butech Bliss in Salem, Lopuchobsky said. “They got to tour several manufacturing facilities and got to talk with professionals.”
For Caelan Perkins, a student at Poland Middle School, his experience in the welding booth was especially satisfying, as he fastened metal pieces together to make a small airplane with the help of supervisors from Youngstown Oxygen and Lincoln Electric.
“This is cool,” he said. “I’ve done soldering and stuff like that before, and it’s pretty fun.”
Pictured at top: Cameron Schuster, a sixth grader at Poland Middle School, along with Diamond Steel supervisor/operator Tyler Lee, navigate a large telescope outdoor crane.