Haas Automation Inc to stage first European CNC Educators' Conference

Metal College Aalborg is one of 2,000 schools across Europe and the USA supported by Haas Automation Inc, with a total or almost 5,000 Haas CNC machine tools. (This effort sails under the Haas Technical Education Centers banner (see link below) This Haas Automation Inc network has been established to counter the shortage of talented and motivated young people with CNC machining skills entering the engineering industry. The company's first European CNC Educators' Conference is the next phase in supporting teachers and underpinning long-term economic viability. Explains Bert Maes, who is responsible for school partnerships at Haas Automation Europe: "Denmark is no different to many western economies, in that manufacturing is suffering from an ageing workforce. In the Aalborg region, 800 people from the manufacturing industry retire every year, but only 350 youngsters are being added to the workforce supply in the same time period. As a result, Metal College has, in recent years, invested significantly in the latest manufacturing technologies, enabling it to offer successful and continuous in-service training to students." (Haas Automation Europe is Haas Automation Inc's mainland Europe representative office from which several Haas Factory Outlets, dealers, located in mainland Europe draw support - Haas Automation UK operates independently of Haas Automation Europe). The Haas conference will set out to give CNC educators an opportunity to connect and collaborate for the benefit of their own professional development, and that of their students. It will help teachers acquire skills through a mix of technical content, machine demonstrations and effective educational techniques. "Haas Automation is convinced that events of this type are more effective through the joint delivery of skills by companies active in the same industry. Workshops at the conference will be staged by established industry names, such as Esprit, Mastercam, Topsolid, Renishaw, Chick Workholding, Immersive engineering, Keller, Cimcool, Blaser, Hainbuch, Universal Robot and a supplier in 3D printing," Mr Maes adds. This will be an international conference, with delegates registered not just from Denmark, but also from countries across Europe, including Germany, Finland, Sweden, Italy, Portugal, France and Romania. As a result, it represents an ideal opportunity for many schools to engage in new international co-operation projects and network with like-minded people across the continent. "Attendees will walk away with something newly learned, with new motivational friends in the education sector, and with practical teaching resources," concludes Mr Maes. "All schools are welcome." Located in the north of the country, Metal College Aalborg is one of Denmark's largest technical educational institutes. Thirty-eight vocational teachers train over 350 students here every year.