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June 2016 • SMT Magazine 43 THE PRODUCTION ENGINEERING STUDENT AS CUSTOMER the real-world becomes more and more difficult as we move through the pipeline. Here are two examples: 1: 2 + 2 = 4. First, hold up two fingers, then add two more fingers; count all the fingers. 2: Take a complex, time-based waveform and decompose it into the frequency domain (a linear combination of sine and cosine wave- forms in the frequency domain using a Fourier Transform). Solve the differential equations in the frequency domain and convert back to the time domain. I think it is clear to the most casual observer that the ability to relate example 1 to the real world is much easier than example 2—that's easier, not impossible. Colleges MUST look at the student as the customer. This means: 1. Putting the interest of the student first, not the fiscal performance of the school, or se- curing government grants to the school through their faculty members. 2. Understanding the industries their stu- dents will be entering when they graduate. Rec- ognizing the skill sets (both technical and so- cial) they need to provide their graduates with; those skills that the companies who ultimately employ the students need to help them success- fully compete on the global playing field. 3. This recognition includes understanding that companies will continue to reduce labor content in product assembly by replacing labor- intensive processes with automated processes. 4. This understanding must help shape the school's curricula to provide a balance of learn- ing for learning and learning for earning. This means a faculty that has real world experience to complement academic teaching excellence. 5. A process and mindset that encourages continually changing curricula to meet the needs of an ever-changing industry. Skill sets for employees are getting more and more complex as the simple tasks of the past, such as taking orders as a fast food restaurant and preparing the food, will be replaced by au- tomated systems. And it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when. Two final examples to support the thesis: By now you have probably encountered the multi-drink/flavor machines available at some fast food outlets. This was a gift from above for me as I do considerable work when I am on the road in one of my Wi-Fi enabled fast food offic- es. But, I've noticed something lately. Many of the selections are not available. Why? The reason is none of the employees are capable (or, have been trained) in reloading the flavor cartridges. So, they go empty and present as not available. The technology even in this entry-level busi- ness is exceeding the employee skill ability. Let's stay with fast food. The demand for a $15.00 minimum wage has entered into the public discourse and debate. "You can't live on $8.05 per hour!" (Florida's minimum wage) "Raising the minimum wage will cost jobs!" "But how can you run a business like this with fewer employees?" Well, the same way high labor rate regions of the world can compete in high tech elec- tronic product assembly: Reduce labor content through automation. And, you know what, it's here. This YouTube video shows an ordering/ burger preparing robotic system that will re- place minimum wage workers. The robot clip begins at about the 29 second mark after the ad. So, it's all about having marketable skills, whether it's the fast food industry or the high- tech electronic product assembly business. And as history teaches us, labor-intensive skills will be ultimately displaced by machine and re- placed with higher level skills, whether it is crit- ical thinking, working in teams or developing automation. How about that, Mr./Ms. Person in the ivory tower? " The technology even in this entry-level business is exceeding the employee skill ability. "