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Career Pathways — Manufacturing
Teaching Today Minnesota | Spring 2024 Page 5

Saints Manufacturing Student Success

are making one kind of component across mul- with understanding partnerships, Trost says
tiple class periods. that this sort of self-discovery is exactly what’s
McDonald was receptive to the partner- intended within the program.
ship ever since Trost reached out about it. “It’s a great opportunity,” Trost said.
MNDOT was looking for such an opportunity, “If students think maybe they want to go into
and were happy to provide opportunities to train welding, that student can come in and try it —
the next workforce. and if they don’t like it, they can try machining
“It’s been awesome,” McDonald said. “It’s or another facet of manufacturing. The impor-
a great program, it’s a win-win for both of us. tant part is that it’s not a business, it’s a class.
Obviously the kids are getting an education You can switch gears.”
out of it and we’re getting a quality product in Trost has received welcome responses
a timely fashion. He’s building the next work- outside of the program, as well. Saints Manu-
force, that’s what he’s doing. Those kids, the facturing finds plenty of support with the St.
benefits they’re getting out of it are going way Francis School Board, President Mike Starr
beyond welding and machining. They’re build- included.
ing real-world skills.” “It’s outstanding that we have something
Ask any of the students in Saints Manufac- like this,” Starr said. “As a school board presi-
turing what they’re learning in class, and they’ll dent, I’m amazed with what these kids are
prove McDonald right. When asked about the doing every time I walk in.”
most valuable things they’re learning in class, Industries have also been receptive, Trost
their answers will go beyond how to operate a says, even with the misconception that industry
By Ian Wreisner, ABC Newspapers a project from start to finish,” Trost said. “It’s piece of equipment. leaders would be upset that students are “taking
Walking into Saints Manufacturing, it a real job, for a real customer, for real money.” “Honestly, patience,” student Lydia their work.” Trost heard as much when attend-
would be easy to mistake the space as a bona All of the funds received by Saints Manu- Nelson said. “I’ve learned a lot about just ing a conference in Wisconsin where another
fide factory floor. Each machine is stationed by facturing goes right back into the program. This slowing down and thinking about things more school was presenting their own manufacturing
a knowledgeable student, product is getting pre- year sees the class hitting new heights with the fully and from different angles.” program.
pared for real-world use and the communication $200,000 mark getting crossed, a testament to Student Kody Schumacher, who acts as “Someone asked what the industry
making sure everything is running smoothly the overall growth seen by Saints Manufactur- a class production manager, responded that thought about ‘you taking their work,’” Trost
and safely is constant. The only difference is ing in recent times. A pre-pandemic expansion “Communication is key.” As a student in a lead- said. “Before anybody could even call on him,
that this is taking place in a St. Francis High to the lab saw the space double in size, and slots ership role and hopeful future elevator trades (a business owner) raised his hand and said, ‘As
School classroom. for the elective classes continue to fill up. Saints member, the lesson is invaluable. a business owner of multiple businesses, my
The Saints Manufacturing program, Manufacturing is operating at a capacity that Still, some students are able to learn quote to you is if you can’t compete with a high
headed by instructor Erik Trost, is a series of Trost previously hadn’t expected. important lessons about themselves. Student school, you shouldn’t be in business.’”
elective classes that teaches students aspects “I never thought in a million years we’d John Deschenes was able to discover a future Local businesses have donated equipment
of manufacturing like welding, machining, have three CNC (computer numerical control) career through his participation in Saints and experience to Saints Manufacturing, with
machine programming, print reading and more mills sitting on our floor at a high school, where Manufacturing. Trost reporting one business donating upwards
— ranging from quoting a job to running a shop there’s times we could use a fourth,” Trost said. “I started out not knowing what it is I of six figures in equipment and materials. For
floor. “I never thought we’d be running weld posi- wanted to do (in the future), but after three Trost, though, the most important thing that his
“In this class, the learning objectives tioners. With some of the MNDOT stuff we’ve years in the program I know I want to go into students can receive is knowledge.
change daily because it’s a live, living thing,” had to upgrade our welding fleet. These are jobs CNC programming,” Deschenes said. “I feel “I’m not worried as much about the finan-
Trost said. “Different tasks come in, differ- that students have quoted and worked through.” pretty lucky to have (Saints Manufacturing). cial piece as we’ve got most of that covered,”
ent orders come in, so then we have to shift Trost emphasized that the class does not I don’t know what would have happened if I Trost said. “The way that you can be most
gears. They’re still working on the skill take out contracts, but work agreements. That didn’t have this.” beneficial to this program is your intellectual
building things they’ve learned in the prereq- means that there’s less of a focus on dead- With the way that the program has come
uisite courses, but now we’re talking about lines and a greater emphasis on learning, with together, with an education-first approach and Continued on Page 6
sequencing jobs, logistics, making sure we’re the understanding that the job will happen at
processing the right materials.” a pace the students can handle. Customers
The Saints Manufacturing class is the are receptive to the agreement, and happy to
highest step in the manufacturing program, provide the work as Brian McDonald with
which has three prerequisite courses that teach MNDOT explained.
students how to safely operate each piece of “We understand it’s a class,” McDonald
equipment in the lab, including a machine tools said. “I’m heavily involved, I’m training my
class, that qualifies students for the manufactur- guys here to have that understanding that we
ing class. look down the road to the stuff we need so we
Saints Manufacturing takes on orders can give those guys plenty of time to get the
from the community, with its largest col- things completed. Some of the simpler parts,
laborator being the Minnesota Department they’re turning them around as fast or faster
of Transportation. As Trost talked about the than we’d get from private industry.”
program, students were currently working on The agreement works well for Trost, too,
manufacturing carts that would store plows who intentionally tries to select jobs that will
during the off-season and suspension pieces be most beneficial for his students. Reason-
that would support them on their trucks during ably sized orders lead to more learning for
next season. Students are involved during the students who will have to switch parts more
whole process, from quoting MNDOT for time often, keeping students engaged and on their
and supplies up to shipping the parts out. toes. Large orders aren’t out of the question, but
“Our students are having to take a look at “lose their educational value” when students