The Digital Manufacturing on a Shoestring program is tackling a critical challenge faced by smaller manufacturers: how to embrace digital technologies to boost productivity, resilience, and sustainability, even with limited resources. Barriers for these businesses often lies in a lack of both digital skills and internal capacity.
Could Further Education College students provide the vital expertise and hands-on support needed to deploy low-cost digital tools in SME manufacturing companies? Shoestring is actively investigating this question.
To test this concept, Shoestring launched a pilot training program for T-Level students from South & City College Birmingham at the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Institute of Technology. These 16-19 year-old students are enrolled in a technical training program that requires them to complete 45 days of work experience.
During the pilot, students received an introduction to the Internet of Things (IoT), exploring its industrial applications and learning how to build Shoestring digital solutions. This practical training quickly transitioned into real-world application within the Institute of Technology’s “learning factory.”
With the support of German Terrazas Angulo, Duvan Pineda and Holly Sheahan, the students successfully deployed a range of solutions, including:
- An air quality monitoring solution positioned near a 3D printer.
- A temperature monitoring solution installed on a motor known to overheat.
- A power monitoring solution integrated into one of the facility’s rigs.
The ultimate goal of this pilot is to prepare these students to deploy low-cost solutions directly within manufacturing companies as part of their upcoming work experience placements. The program will continue into the next academic year, refining the training approach to best equip these young people with the digital skills and industrial awareness to help them have an impact.
If you are interested in finding out how your company or organisation can get involved in the Shoestring programme, or would like to know more, we would love to hear from you!
Please email us at: contact@digitalshoestring.net