AMHERST, Ohio — As parts zip along and get assembled on a flexible manufacturing system, students at Marion L. Steele High School in Amherst get a glimpse into their futures. The system mimics what they would encounter in a factory. But when there's a problem, that's when the real learning begins.

"When it breaks down, I get excited. Students are like, it's broken. I'm like, no, that's your job. That's what you're supposed to do,” explained John Agostinelli, the Robotics and Automation Instructor at Marion L. Steele High School. “It's all of this technology, but it breaks. And so that's what we need. That's why there is a huge need for technicians right now."

This advanced manufacturing lab opened last month. It features three stations, including programmable logic controllers and

See Full Page