In 2011, Richard Turere, then an 11 year old boy living in Kenya, decided he had to provide a way to protect the family cows from lion raids. With nothing more than a handful of small LED bulbs, a spool of wire and an old car battery, Richard has saved his families livestock and quite possible the future of Lions in Kenya. Richard Turere is an extraordinary young man and due to his remarkable achievement he earned a scholarship to one of Kenya’s top colleges.
There are many people with Richard’s combination of cleverness, intelligence, scrutiny and entrepreneurship who would like to create something useful. Unfortunately, they often lack the direction and specialized instruction that can focus and enhance their skills. This kind of hands on, common sense learning is the bailiwick of community colleges and Chicago offers some of the best programs in the Midwest.
Suggested engineering and manufacturing programs from Chicago area community colleges:
- Manufacturing Technology
- Automation and Controls
- CNC/CAM Programming
- CNC Operations and Programming Preparation
- Mechanical Design/CAD
- CAD Interior Design
- Computer-Aided Design
- Industrial Design Engineering
- Tool and Die Makers
- Electrical and Electronics Drafters
- Electro-Mechanical Technology
- Engineering Technology
- Welding
These community college programs will prepare students for careers that include computer-aided manufacturing, robotics, machining, drafting, fluid systems, numerical control, NDT, industrial bolting services and designing products with rapid prototyping equipment.
Like Richard Turere, TorqLite is a company that has done the extraordinary. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is considered the largest marine oil spill in history. For 87 days oil gushed from the broken wellhead until it was finally capped. TorqLite manufactures a hydraulic torque wrench that was used to launch the underwater repairs. Over 5000 feet into the depths of the ocean, massive bolts had to be broken loose and removed from the ruptured wellhead before repairs could begin. Thankfully, the torque wrench worked flawlessly. Its design is simple, yet elegant, and while the technology used to create it is far beyond what can be found in the fields of Africa, the results are no less sublime.
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