The campus will remain closed until 12 noon Thursday, 02/13/25. Students should log into Canvas for specific class information from their instructors. Please contact event organizers for information on specific activities. Normal operations will resume at 12pm on Thursday.
SOUTHFIELD—Lawrence Technological University President Tarek Sobh appeared on two afternoon sessions Tuesday at Integr8, the Industry 4.0 conference staged by Automation Alley at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi.
In an LTU-sponsored roundtable discussion, “Innovative Pathways to Industry 4.0 Talent,” leaders from education, training, and business brainstormed ideas for the skills schools should be teaching to develop the work force of the future.
Speaking with Sobh on the panel were Alycia Meriweather, deputy superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District; Peter Provenzano, Chancellor of Oakland Community College; and Christelle Keefer, global product manager for robotics education at ABB Robotics.
Writing their thoughts on whiteboards, five tables of attendees agreed that training in the skills needed for modern manufacturing—the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics—should begin as early as possible, down to first grade. And it should be made into hands-on games and projects—fun things, not just more classroom time—whenever possible. Teaching coding with toy robots was one example of how to demystify technology and make it more relatable to young minds.
Such programs must also meet students where they are, meaning the programs must be easy for parents to get their kids to and conveniently scheduled.
Attendees also suggested that universities make it easier to match up with employers to deliver sponsored research. That’s a process many companies aren’t familiar with and don’t know where to start, attendees said.
Sobh, for his part, predicted that the future would be “highly technological and interdisciplinary,” pointing to his own experience as a robotics engineer needing to learn anatomy and physiology to work on prosthetic limbs. He also predicted that jobs and activities involving manual labor and limited cognition would soon disappear in favor of having autonomous systems and robots powered by artificial intelligence doing the work.
And in terms of higher education, Sobh predicted that professional development certifications, micro credentials and continuing education would become more important.
Sobh also joined Carey DeWitt, shareholder at the Detroit law firm Butzel Long, for a breakout session on “Hiring and Retaining the Best Talent.” Sobh and DeWitt reviewed a comprehensive list of do’s and don’ts for hiring and retention of quality employees. The major points:
Sobh said employers should look for employees who are not afraid to get outside their comfort zone.
As for retention, Sobh and DeWitt said the best employers recognize good performance generously and immediately–and also deal immediately with employees with performance problems, offering them training or perhaps even a change in supervision.
Use Your Cell Phone as a Document Camera in Zoom
From Computer
Log in and start your Zoom session with participants
From Phone
To use your cell phone as a makeshift document camera