Techniques Feb 2013 - 55

Feature

Cost Considerations
•
•
•
•
•

Building new or retrofitting an existing space
Work tables or benches can be made or found in surplus yards
Federal, state or local grants to ease start-up costs
Repurpose old shop equipment
Build a circle of influence with engineers, manufacturers and instructors

Take Your
Students To A
Higher Level

Program Level
Equipment

Entry

Intermediate

Advanced

Oven

$4,000–$6,000

$10,000–$25,000

$40,000–$80,000

Freezer

$200–$600

$3,000–$8,000

$10,000–$40,000

Vacuum System

$2,000–$4,000

$6,000–$10,000

$15,000–$40,000

Dust Collection

$200–$5,000

$5,000–$10,000

$10,000–$60,000

Clean Room/Equipment

$1,000–$4,000

$5,000–$30,000

$30,000–$60,000

Materials

$1,000–$5,000

$5,000–$10,000

$10,000–$50,000

Tools

$1,000–$3,000

$5,000–$8,000

$15,000–$30,000

Miscellaneous

$3,000–$5,000

$5,000–$10,000

$10,000–$20,000

Budget Ranges

$12,400–$32,600

$44,000–$111,000

$140,000–$380,000

School District is on a mission to supply
a trained workforce. In addition to the
composites feeder program at Spanaway
Lake HS, they have committed approximately $100,000 to their composites program at the Pierce County Skills Center,
a county-wide vocational center serving
high school students under the age of 21.
“We received a state grant to recruit
students for the composites and aerospace
engineering program,” said Aszklar. “We
have targeted students from our Project
Lead the Way junior high programs
(GTT and Introduction to Engineering
Design), as well as students who were
proficient in math and sciences.” Aszklar
identified about 50 students for the composites program. Those students and their
parents will receive recruitment letters,
be given opportunities to attend field trips
to the Museum of Flight and enjoy dinner
with aerospace engineers and fabrication
specialists.
www.acteonline.org

Conclusion
Just as metal and wood shops proliferated in the post-World War II school
curriculums to help train a generation of
factory workers and craftsmen, advanced
composite shops are poised to lead the
way for the next generation. Instructors
used to working in metal and wood shop
environments will find the learning curve
for composites to be very moderate to flat,
as many of the same tools and techniques
cross over to these space-age materials.
Kevin Hayes is a feelance writer based in the
Pacific northwest. His work has appeared in Wood
Design and Building, Ceilings Magazine, Extreme How-To,
Structural Engineer and other trade publications
covering aerospace, engineered wood and
advanced composites. He can be reached at
kevin.hayes@tacticalmark.com.

Print and electronic products
from ATP focus on the
technical skills necessary for
students to achieve a high
level of performance in the
skilled trades.
Instructional resources are
available that provide a
wealth of content information
and curriculum flexibility.
Choose the quality that many
professionals in the field, and
in the classroom, have known
for decades... ATP!

Scan here to visit our web site
www.go2atp.com

Endnote
1.	 Quote taken from www.aia-aerospace.org/
issues_policies/workforce/facts.

February 2013  Techniques  
55
Techniques Feb 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Techniques Feb 2013
