Several local students recently had the opportunity of learning to both build and fly drones as part of a STEM Camp Series day camp in Edmonton.
Eleven students from Blackfalds' Iron Ridge Secondary Campus and three from Mecca Glen School in Ponoka County took part in the event, which was presented by the Association of Science and Engineering Technology Professionals of Alberta (ASET) with sponsorship from the Personal Home and Auto Insurance Program.
The camps, which took place at the Alberta Aviation Museum last month, focused on two of the 21 engineering technology disciplines: electrical and mechanical.
Organizers say it's all about giving youth a hands-on introduction to the ins and out of the engineering technology profession.
“The drone project was a challenging and exciting one, and we’re pleased to say that the students exceeded expectations with all teams finishing their drones with plenty of time to test out flying them,” said ASET CEO Barry Cavanaugh.
In the morning, students were taught both mechanical and electrical technology skills, and then dove into designing and soldering the drones and putting together various pre-purchased mechanical components.
After lunch, they focused on flying the drones and zeroing in on any glitches that surfaced, said Cavanaugh.
“It was inspiring to see the students work through issues as they arose. In the end, all the drones flew and the students enjoyed the learning process," he said.
"The camps were also primarily aided by our volunteers. Many expressed a real enthusiasm for what was going on with the hands-on work, and the demonstrations in terms of building the drones," he explained.
"In some cases, (students) may have gotten something wrong, and they had to figure out what was wrong, and make it work. Those are the kinds of skills, and those are the kinds of interests that are really out there in the profession," he said.
"The volunteers were excited about it. And the students were really pumped because I think they were being offered opportunities to look at things they had never thought about," he said.
Looking forward, Cavanaugh said the plan is to continue to circulate these kinds of camps around the province as well.
"We've realized that there is a real interest in them. We know it's going to be province-wide, and we want it to be."
There is also plenty of interest from the 'teaching' side of things too, he said.
"We have a lot of very publicly-minded members, who step up when we ask them to," he added of the organization's team of camp volunteers.
"We do training with them as well about what we want to achieve. But they typically know this stuff backwards and forwards, and they are enthused about what they do for living," said Cavanaugh. "They love to pass it on to young people.
Cavanaugh said the camps also help the youth better understand what engineering technology is all about, and the range of career possibilities that are available across the field.
"The interesting thing from my perspective is what engineering technologists do is not always widely understood by the public," said Cavanagh. "And so we want students to learn about what I think is an exciting profession, and a very meaningful profession in our province," he said.
"It's fair to say the technology profession is home to some very interesting - and well-paid - jobs as well. So it's good for students to find out about (these opportunities)," he said, adding many young adults come to professions such as engineering technology as a second career.
"Sometimes, they've done something else interesting for a couple of years, and then they learn that this profession exists," he said.
"Lots do come straight from high school, but the majority, it seems to me, tend to come to it after learning about the profession out in the working world. So we want them to know a little earlier."
Cavanaugh emphasized that the possibilities for young people within engineering technology are out there, and that the province truly needs them.
In 2022, the C.D. Howe Institute released a report called The Knowledge Gap, showing that Canada faces a significant digital and STEM skills shortage due to the aging population and rapid digitalization across the economy.
