- Careers in manufacturing are on the rise and they look a lot different than the assembly lines we saw in the past.

Manufacturing has gone high tech.

Modern manufacturing workers have to know and understand computers and the machines they control.

We will learn about how NASA is on the cutting edge of manufacturing, and then we'll go on the job with the company that specializes in 3D printing.

Find out more in "The Career Center."

- [Announcer] "The Career Center" is made possible by General Motors, and by these supporters, and by viewers like you.

Thank you.

(upbeat synth music) (birds chirp) (crowd murmurs) (bell rings) - Hey, Page, hey, Sam.

Thanks for signing up for a career counseling session.

What can I help you with today?

- Ms. Pisani, I took one of those career assessment quizzes and it says that I'd be good at high tech manufacturing.

I don't even know what that is.

- That's so interesting.

So you know what manufacturing is, right?

- Making things, working in a factory?

- That doesn't sound like something I'd like to do.

- That's what manufacturing used to look like, but high tech manufacturing uses a lot of the latest technologies like robotics and programming and mechatronics and a lot of other disciplines as well.

- Oh, I love robotics.

I've been part of robotics since second grade.

- Ah, that might be why the career assessment recommended high tech manufacturing for you.

I have a video on what high tech manufacturing looks like today.

Let's take a look.

(exciting synth music) - I'm Niki Werkheiser and I'm the In-Space Manufacturing Project Manager for NASA.

We're creating all sorts of things from this 3D printing or In-Space Manufacturing technologies from the small to the large.

We are working with very cutting edge technologies, we're trying to create capabilities that have never been done before.

We have a large scale 3D printer and that was a technology developed by a professor at University of Southern California, where, on the NASA side, we use, it's really fake Martian and fake lunar dirt, we call it regolith.

So that once we go to Mars and the Moon, obviously we're not gonna carry all of our construction materials with us, that would be a lot of mass, we want to use what's there and that's called in situ materials.

So we're actually creating our own simulated Martian dirt and we are printing large scale structures like habitats and landing pads and storage facilities that we actually use lunar and Martian dirt.

So we've actually produced this on the ground now and that's happening today.

So a lot of times, the focus we get when we talk to people about what we're doing are the technologies, the actual machines that we're using to print these things, which are very exciting technologies.

So when I talk about, for example, we're practicing now to print a habitat using this fake Martian dirt.

Not only do we have to come up with the simulant, we obviously can't scoop a lot of dirt from Mars right now, so we have to make the fake dirt and know that it's like the Martian dirt.

So we have material scientists that specialize in that, that have developed that.

And then they're also testing different sorts of what we call binders, which is the glue that goes into that dirt.

You can't just take the dirt itself and use that, you have to have the binder to turn it into a kind of slush or material that you can now build with.

So they're looking at all sorts of materials that we can use from recycled waste, urine that we can reuse, and different materials that we can also get from our environment around us, whether we're on the Moon or Mars, that we can use for these binders.

I absolutely love what I do every single day and it's something that I've actually dreamt of since I was about seven years old.

I remember sitting at home when I was about seven and it was the first Space Shuttle launch of Columbia and I was mesmerized and glued to the television, watching this huge feat of technology launch humans into space.

And I very distinctly remember as exciting as it would be to be an astronaut, for me, it was just as meaningful that a group of humans that were passionate about something came together and created this technological feat that overcame so many constraints of gravity and physics and science and safety to enable that type of exploration.

And I knew at that point that I wanted to be part of creating that, I wanted to work with a team of passionate people and create something that helps humankind like that.

So I knew I wanted to work for NASA and I started out, actually, studying biology, gravitational biology.

I wanted to work on helping to cure cancer in space and there's a lot of really cool human research going on and I did get my bachelor's of science and a master's of science with an emphasis in gravitational biology, and then also ended up getting a BA degree in Russian studies and language.

I love the aspect of not only coming together as a country, but we come together with our international partners to build something like the Space Station that we've had up for 15 years now.

It's been very exciting and once you get into a program like NASA, it's endless, the possibilities.

So whereas I thought I would be doing cancer research in space and did the first part of my career, now I'm 3D printing in space.

The best advice I would give, of course you hear it from everywhere, but number one is never give up.

People really focus on, you know, the hardcore engineering, the hardcore math, and we get the type of students that are kind of already gravitating that way.

If I had one message to give, it would be we need all sorts of thinkers.

Every human has something special to offer and yes, the degree is important, and yes, you need to study, but there are different qualities and capabilities just as a human being that you bring and when we're working on these teams, we could not do it if we had one less person than we do.

Each person brings that special quality.

Whatever your skill, whatever your interest or passion is, let it shine, don't give up, and bring that special quality and skill to the table.

(exciting synth music) - So what kinds of things are you interested in, Sam?

I know you mentioned robotics, but what else?

- I've been working with a team to make an upper body exoskeleton with a ton of 3D printing components.

- Didn't you recently have a chance to go on the job to an industrial 3D printing company?

- Yeah, I did.

It was epic.

(exciting synth music) At Voxeljet in Canton, Michigan, if you can dream it, they can probably print it.

Voxeljet specializes in additive manufacturing, a process similar to the 3D printing you may have done at home or school.

But here they do it with extreme precision and on a scale you have to see to believe.

Join me as I learn how to turn a computer model into an actual tangible object and listen in as I talk with Aaron Howard and Michael Dougherty to discuss career opportunities with this technology.

Can you tell me about Voxeljet?

- Yeah so, Voxeljet's an additive manufacturing company.

We've been around coming up on 25 years.

We're very focused on industrial printing.

- You said additive manufacturing, can you tell me more about that?

- [Michael] Additive is building a component up layer by layer.

So traditional ways of making things was taking something solid and cutting it to make what you want with the mill or the drill.

Additive starts with nothing and builds a layer up to make the shape that you're looking for.

- [Sam] To learn more about additive manufacturing, sales engineering manager Aaron Howard shows me Voxeljet's expansive operation.

- This is the VX4000.

This is the world's largest production printer.

This is a four meter long, two meter wide, one meter deep platform.

- So you gave me this.

Can you tell me a bit more about it?

I can stretch it and pull it and stuff and it... - [Aaron] Sure thing.

This was printed on the VX1000, which our trade name for our machine, and the material is polyamide 12, which is in the amine family, or in the States it's known as nylon.

Obviously it is very fluid, right?

So this can be used for lots of applications, whether it be conformal seating, where we have heating or cooled seats.

Jokingly, I wore it earlier as a stole, so this is a reality that could become the future very soon as that, you know, this could be clothing and it's very useful and tactile.

- [Sam] Using fine particulate substances, Voxeljet's printers create products that are extremely durable and yield little waste.

So you said that you try to recycle as much as you can.

Can you tell me more about it?

- We try and reuse as much material as possible and the build box even has an unpacking station with a down draft table included.

So this is a very fine material and you can see it behaves almost like a fluid in this state.

But the other part too is as we unpack this, we're able to recover that material and it just goes down in the down draft table and under air gets put back into the machines again.

- What type of person excels in this field?

- Because it's engineering related, I think problem solvers do well.

Thinkers, doers, people that like to tinker and play with this things, this is a good spot for them to find a good home in.

- I find this really interesting.

Is there a way I can take a stab at it?

- Absolutely.

You're welcome to make your own part today.

- Thanks.

- Would you like a go?

- Yeah!

- So now you can see where the magic happens and you can make your own part today.

I have a computer set up here for you in Autodesk Netfabb to create a tool.

We largely serve the metal casting industry, so we wanna make a part, but we need to make the tool that makes the part, not the part itself.

So we're gonna make a car.

Click here.

So this car is about six inches, right, so here is the measurements right there, but you can hold it in your hand, right?

We need to make this part, so we need the tool, so the tool is just a box, right?

So I have the part, I need to put some space around it to make the tool.

So turn on the box.

- [Sam] Using computer-aided design software, Aaron guides me through the steps to create a mold of the car.

After placing a box around the car model, we need to add cylinder shapes that represent where the liquid metal will be poured, as well as vents that will allow steam to escape.

By creating vents of different sizes, it will allow the metal to flow evenly.

We also need to add supports for our tool to be carried either by hand or by machine.

Next we add a label and specify which shapes need to be hollowed, then we create a cut through our design that will be used for cleaning the inside after it's printed.

Finally, we run scripts to find any result errors and it's off to the printer.

If I wanted to pursue this as a career, what kind of degree would I want to go for?

- Electromechanical is definitely a technical focus in the area, but we really employ all degrees 'cause it's really about the interest level and understanding and the different types of positions in here, but to stay technical, which I think is more your interest, it's the electromechanical, maybe even computer science, automation, or robotics, those sorts of things.

These are robotic automated machines, so that would fit very well.

- Why is this an exciting industry to get into?

- The excitement for this is that everything is different every day.

While we do some repeat work, largely every job is unique and new.

It's also generally very rewarding because you're helping somebody create a solution to a problem they may have.

So in here printing right now is actually the positive, or the car actual that we were making earlier.

So when we made that tool, we were making the negative space to create that part that we cast in metal, but we're gonna make that part now to look at it in plastic.

- [Sam] After the car is printed, it's time to clean it up.

This is so cool.

- Yep, you got it.

It's really that easy.

Yeah, we can pull that.

We can pull that.

- It's kinda hot.

- Yeah, it looks great.

You did a good job.

- Yay.

It's exciting to see your digital creation in real life.

- And you can take it, so you're welcome to take it home with you, it's yours, you made it, so.

- Really?

- Yes.

- Thank you so much for doing this, this is so cool.

- Of course.

- [Sam] Thanks, Voxeljet.

I had a blast learning about this awesome career.

(exciting synth music) I'd love to go into a 3D printing career, but I don't know where to start.

- You know, Sam, that's why I'm here.

You can come to me or any of the other counselors to talk through that stuff.

One thing that I'd also suggest is doing a little bit of research and figuring out what sort of classes you could take that will connect to 3D printing.

So websites like O-Net help you look up careers and find skills connected to those careers and then what classes to take that help build those skills.

- Is there anywhere else we can find this information?

- Sure.

There are lots of online resources.

So what you can do is look up the skills that you need and then match those skills to courses that we offer here at school.

And once you figure that out, then we could decide what classes you need to take.

- What if we've already taken all the classes offered?

- That's a great question.

So one option that you have is to do something called duel enrollment, where you take college classes and you get high school credit and college credit at the same time.

You could always come talk to me about that.

Or you could talk to one of our career and technical education teachers to see what courses they have that align with what you're interested in.

And it doesn't stop at high school.

You can continue to use online resources to help you find out about training and certifications and college classes to help keep you on track.

One Detroit recently did a story about the Centrepolis Accelerator, an advanced manufacturing incubator on the Lawrence Technological University campus.

I think it might interest you.

(exciting synth music) (soft music) - [Will] Since we began our Future of Work town halls, we've heard that higher education and design are integral to Michigan having a strong economic future, so I wanted to know how higher education and design turn into products that need to be made by the employees that fuel our economic success.

Enter Centrepolis Accelerator, a company best explained by the man who runs it, Dan Radomski.

- Centrepolis Accelerator is located in South Field, Michigan.

It's on the campus of Lawrence Tech University, funded by Lawrence Tech, city of South Field, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, as well as many other organizations and foundations.

Our mission is, despite being here in South Field, is to support the entire state of Michigan and helping people develop physical products and get them made here in Michigan.

This is an example of one of the products we brought to market, this is the magnetic buttons that I was mentioning.

- [Will] Tell me how you found this hole in the market that you guys are currently occupying and what makes simply creating a product and getting it to a shelf more complicated than it seems?

- Yeah, I think it might seem odd to a lot of people with us being a manufacturing state that we didn't have an incubator or accelerator program focused on developing physical products and manufacturing them here in Michigan, because that's our bench strength, right, that's what we're really good at.

Not just manufacturing, but the product development process to prepare a product for manufacturing.

We're really the best in the world at it.

I mean, I would compare Michigan and the Detroit area to any place in the world that is innovative, Germany, Japan, and other areas, in designing, engineering, testing, and driving costs and complexity out of products and ensuring that they're gonna be durable and reliable.

We're really the best in the world at it.

- [Will] And he would know because he's been in this field most of his life.

- What he did here is he actually created a clutch that when you pull on these gives 300 pounds of resistance, which is amazing.

Yeah, I was really born and raised in the manufacturing, I grew up as a machinist, I've been in manufacturing and product development my whole life.

My last job in private industry was running an international vehicle design engineering firm.

- Tell us what the impact of Centrepolis has been because this is the only place that's helping people with the nuts and bolts of how to manufacture a product and get it to market.

- Yeah so, we've been in operation, Centrepolis, for five years now, and the impact we've had has just been amazing.

Every company that has come in here that has had an idea for a physical product that we made an investment in time and money in has officially got their product to market.

That's almost unheard of, even for software companies, and very difficult to do with hardware or physical products.

So we've been able to launch over three dozen businesses, we've had the opportunity to get 50 new physical products out to market, and more importantly is we help these people with their ideas finally get a product to market that's made in Michigan, it's also having a trickle effect to those in the local supply chain.

Many of those companies are not manufacturing themselves, we connect them to local suppliers.

Our clients alone, over the last five years, have contracted 366 contracts to Michigan manufacturers amounting over $24 million.

So the economic multiplier of our work is rather significant to the local manufacturing community.

- In your opinion, what is it that Michigan needs or what direction should we be headed in to reinvigorate the manufacturing that Michigan maybe once had in the past?

What do we need to be doing to breathe life back into this sector of our economy?

- So one thing I'll say is one of the most valuable parts of our manufacturing value chain is the product design and engineering part of, you know.

So you have to set that aside from the actual manufacturing of making things, the actual value of designing and engineering and testing and prototyping.

We're still best in the world at that and there's literally thousands of firms here in Michigan that do that today.

And largely what we've done is harness that power and that talent that's already here.

- What I'm hearing you say is that they might have the reputation on the coasts, but we're backing up that reputation with our brain power and ability when it comes to product design and manufacturing and that kind of thing.

- Yeah so, as people learn, as investors learn, as startups have learned about Centrepolis's capabilities, they have been working with us, and some have actually moved here.

We've had about a dozen companies move from Silicon Valley area to Michigan, very specifically to work with Centrepolis to help them design and engineer and develop their product.

(exciting synth music) - So I think a big takeaway from everything that we've talked about today is that we need to be technology literate.

Do you know what that means?

- Do you mean, like, learning how to use a computer and stuff like that?

- It could be that, but it's also a lot more.

So you know I've been working on a series of videos about 21st century skills and I just finished a video on technology literacy.

Do you wanna take a look?

- [Page] Yeah, I'd love to.

- [Ms. Pisani] Sure!

(exciting synth music) Did you know that phones used to have to be plugged into the wall?

And they didn't even take pictures.

Weird, huh?

(phone crashes) Technology changes quickly and it's important to keep aware of these technology changes and how they impact our world and lives.

The ability to understand technology, its impact, and how to use it is called technology literacy.

Hi, I'm Andrea Pisani, and I work with students every day to help them explore their passions and make great futures for themselves.

Let's talk about the skills everyone needs to make it in the 21st century.

21st century skills.

Technology literacy is a 21st century literacy skill.

Let's take a look at what it is, why it is important for our lives in the 21st century, and what we can do to help improve our technology literacy skills.

We might think of technology as things, computers, smart phones, smart watches, smart TVs, but technology is more than just stuff.

Technology is really anything that's been created or modified to benefit humanity.

Communication technology, like social media applications, artificial intelligence, alternative power sources, like electric cars, solar and wind power, are all technologies we're exposed to and dealing with right now.

And to be technologically literate means being able to use technology in responsible and appropriate ways to communicate, collaborate, be creative, think critically, and problem solve.

Technology literacy is the ability to understand how to use the tools technology provides to solve your problem.

It is also the ability to understand how to evaluate the ethical use of technology and what the impacts of certain technologies can be on the people and environments around us.

Technology literacy starts with proficiency.

Can you effectively use the technological tools available to you?

It is also understanding how you can use technological tools together to help solve problems.

The next part of technology literacy is understanding how the technology available to us impacts us and society around us.

There's a lot of talk around us now about the impacts of social media and artificial intelligence.

Understanding how these tools impact us allows us to make informed and ethical choices about how and when to use them.

So why is it important to be technology literate in the 21st century?

It seems obvious, but we're living in a time when there are new technological tools available to us all of the time.

It is important for our lives to understand these new technologies and how to use them.

These technologies help keep us connected to each other, help us do our work more efficiently, and help us learn.

Technology literacy also helps us to be informed members of society.

We can actively participate in the conversation about technology, we can make informed opinions about its use, understand how it is impacting our lives and environment, and understand how it is impacting our personal lives.

It is also a valuable skill for employers.

A technology literate employee understands how to use technology with less training, knows how and when to use the appropriate tools to solve problems, can troubleshoot their own technological issues, and has an understanding of the ethical implications in using some technology.

All of these things have real value in the workplace.

Okay, so what we can do to help improve our technology literacy skills?

The first thing you can do is use technology, but with intention.

When you're using technology to communicate, create, or problem solve, think about why you picked the tool you did.

What are the strengths of the tool that helped you solve your problem?

What are the drawbacks?

Next, learn about technology.

Watch tutorials online, take a coding class or bootcamp, stay informed, read about new technology, but also read and talk about the concerns and debates around new technology.

Think about how you feel about certain technologies and explore how you formed your opinion.

If you wanna learn more about 21st century skills, be sure to visit mifutureofwork.org.

There you'll find a series of videos that take a deeper look at each of the three Ls, leadership, learning, and life skills.

And you might even find something that will make you laugh while learning.

Who knows?

So Sam, I hope our conversation today helped you understand why your career assessment recommended high tech manufacturing.

- It did.

And I'd love to come talk to you sometime about dual enrollment and CTE programs.

- That'd be fantastic.

You know my door is always open.

And if you'd like to learn more about careers in high tech manufacturing, visit our website mifutureofwork.org/hightech.

There you'll find videos, blog posts, resources, and more to help set you on your path.

Thank you for joining me in "The Career Center."

- [Announcer] "The Career Center" is made possible by General Motors, and by these supporters, and by viewers like you.

Thank you.

(upbeat synth music) (soft piano music)