FUJIFILM Dimatix STEM Internship: High Tech Manufacturing & Engineering
It’s easy to forget that nestled into the hills which we call home here in New Hampshire, there is a thriving business community. The high-tech manufacturing that goes on in Lebanon, NH can be quite fascinating, but it’s all usually hidden behind the walls of seemingly boring buildings. However, some lucky high school students now get to take a break from sitting in their classrooms to have an in depth look into a couple local businesses. This is thanks to a ground-breaking STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) learning program that launched in September of 2018.
The program is a partnership between Lebanon High School, Thetford Academy, Hypertherm, and us, FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc. While the concept of teaching high school students about STEM is by no means a new one, this program is unique because it combines onsite learning at manufacturing facilities and curriculums that earn course credits. The pilot program, which is titled “STEM Internship: High Tech Manufacturing and Engineering,” was developed by the participating schools and corporate mentors.
Hypertherm makes powerful plasma-cutting equipment and here at FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc. we make sophisticated industrial print jets. We are the world's leading supplier of drop on-demand inkjet printheads for industrial applications and we are driving a revolution in inkjet technology to support a new generation of products for printing, industrial product decoration and material deposition. We see the most talented and innovative people for both external and internal opportunities and we welcome talent across the spectrum, such as entry-level production technicians, administrative and professional fields, management, IT, engineers and sales.
At Dimatix, students will experience the life cycle of one of our printheads, including the production process, material science, failure analysis engineering, testing, design, and much more; helping them with their future journey!
STEM Internship: High Tech Manufacturing and Engineering explores career readiness and employment opportunities in the Upper Valley. The goal is for students to gain competency in the STEM skills needed for successful employment. This is achieved by giving them hands-on experiences in all aspects of the businesses, including but not limited to history, marketing, assembly, accounting, engineering, research and development. Through these experiences, students learn responsibility, the importance of sticking to a plan, how to be a leader, project management, procurement, resume writing, interview skills, and many more lessons that will help them find and keep good jobs after graduation. Manufacturing is a growing sector of the economy and is constantly in need of qualified workers, so the intention of the program is to help both the students and the businesses.
The preparation and coordination process to design the program was 18-months-long. It now meets state and district educational requirements and has been approved by school boards. Eight students from each school are selected from among a pool of applicants for the program. Students who apply are required to have already obtained an Algebra I credit. The STEM Internship takes place every weekday afternoon during the first semester of the academic year.
Participating students rotate through various FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc. and Hypertherm departments to develop an overview of the opportunities in the manufacturing industry. These diverse experiences help students to develop perspective and they shed some light on both the benefits and challenges faced by businesses. The experiences are supplemented by coursework that is led by company employees on site at FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc. and Hypertherm. The program consists of an 8-week stint at each location. Students will earn 1 credit in math, 0.5 credits in science and 0.5 flexible-elective credits. At the end of the semester, the students present a final project that will be graded on a proficiency scale of 1 to 4.
During the half of the program that happens here at FUJIFILM Dimatix, Inc., students get to experience the entire life cycle of one of our printheads! This observation will help provide them with knowledge about the production process, material science, design, failure analysis engineering, testing, and more. Our STEM Internship students...
• Visit with HR • Create a personal mission statement • Analyze print heads that come back from the dead in the AMD lab • Tear apart machines and printheads • Explore the printhead test lab
We look forward to working with more and more students who could someday become a part of our team if they so choose. The program is designed to accommodate students of varying academic levels and interests. We hope to keep young people interested in STEM subjects and jobs in the manufacturing field.
If you would like to find out more information about the STEM Program, feel free to reach out to Chris Hamilton, the STEM Program Academic Coordinator, at christopher.hamilton@fujifilm.com