Student Days: Students, educators supplement classroom time with first-hand learning

Spanning two days, ProMat 2019 Student Days welcomes students and faculty members from universities, community colleges, technical schools and high schools. Student Days is sponsored by MHI’s College Industry Council on Material Handling Education (CICMHE) and Career & Technical Education (CTE) Program, in partnership with the Material Handling Education Foundation Inc. (MHEFI) and the Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association (MHEDA).

It was expanded with a second day of off-site facility tours during ProMat 2015. This gives students a chance to see real-world materials handling technology applications at different distribution facilities in the Chicago area. The umbrella event was christened “Student Days,” and now includes one Classroom Day at the show and a second day of facility tours.

Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. students will convene for the 16th-consecutive installment of Classroom Day, said Viche’ Thomas, MHI’s education coordinator. “The opportunity to spend time at the show offers students a better understanding of the latest industry developments,” she noted. “They get a chance to see the variety of solutions that support the flow of materials throughout the supply chain, all in one place.”

Classroom Day is so important to MHI’s Board of Governors, continued Thomas, they set aside travel grants to be awarded among attending schools on a first-come/first-served basis. “Because of these grants, more than 200 students and faculty are expected to participate,” she added.

The students’ morning kicks off with breakfast and a brief overview of how material handling and logistics solutions make goods flow, how solutions are developed, and current and future trends.

From 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., students and their instructors will split into groups to take a guided tour of the show floor. Industry experts at selected show booths will be on hand to discuss the materials handling industry, solutions, technologies and careers. These industry experts will have special signage, “Proud Supporter of Student Days,” displayed at their locations.

Students will then gather as a full group at 12:30 p.m. for lunch and a private simulcast of keynote speaker Marcus Lemonis’ presentation, occurring from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Lemonis, TV host and champion of skilled labor, will also visit with the students in person at 2:00 p.m.

From 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., students and their instructors will be given additional time to explore the show floor said Thomas. “With ProMat in both South and North halls of McCormick Place, we wanted to ensure that Classroom Day participants had ample time to explore the displays,” she explained. “New this year, we’ve added a section within The HUB—Booth S2651 on the South Hall show floor, across from MHI’s Booth S3354—to give students a designated area to take breaks and network with each other and attendees.”

On Thursday, the Facility Tour Day portion of Student Days kicks off at 8:00 a.m., when select students and their instructors check in and begin boarding buses departing from McCormick Place to see real world materials handling technology applications during a behind-the-scenes tour of a local automated manufacturer/distribution facility.

“We’re pleased to again be able to offer students and educators the chance to see our industry’s solutions in action,” Thomas concluded. “It puts the technologies they’ve seen on the show floor into a real world context.”

ProMat 2019 is scheduled to be held April 8-11 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. The tradeshow will showcase the latest manufacturing, distribution and supply chain solutions in the materials handling and logistics industry. Modern’s complete coverage of the show.