Hurco Companies, Inc. and Vincennes University (VU) received a 2024 Indiana Award for Excellence recognizing their postsecondary partnership.
The award was presented Monday (May 6, 2024) by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education during a ceremony in Fishers, Indiana.
(Representatives from Hurco and Vincennes University receive an Award for Excellence during a ceremony at The Wellington in Fishers, Indiana)
Officials deemed Hurco and VU's partnership best "expands and/or exemplifies career and technical education for postsecondary students by prioritizing quality hands on project-based and work-based learning opportunities through innovative and/or unique approaches."
(The Award for Excellence trophy Hurco and Vincennes University received sits on a table following a ceremony at The Wellington in Fishers, Indiana)
Hurco’s partnership with VU spawned from a desire to improve youth education and aid in filling the manufacturing skills gap. Since the partnership began in 2013, Hurco has provided VU with a total of 32 state-of-the-art Hurco CNC machines tools for students of VU’s highly regarded Precision Machining Technology program. In return, about 50 well-trained graduates with extensive experience on Hurco machines enter the workforce every year with the skills needed to immediately fill machinist roles at shops throughout Indiana and beyond.
Hurco’s commitment to continually upgrade VU’s equipment and provide technical support, combined with the outstanding instruction provided by VU faculty, means graduates are equipped with the latest knowledge in manufacturing technology. This not only benefits students and machine shops, but also Hurco, which has hired several graduates of the VU program as applications engineers with fantastic results. Simply put: the Hurco-VU partnership is a win for all individuals involved and Indiana’s manufacturing workforce as a whole.
(The exterior of the Hurco CNC Technology Center at Vincennes University)
"I can’t say enough good things about the partnership between Hurco and Vincennes University," said Hurco Senior Product Technical Specialist Mike Cope. "As someone who began as a CNC machinist in 1984 and later opened and operated my own machine shop before joining Hurco in 2005, I have had a first-hand view of the widening skills gap.
"In a lot of ways, public education has placed less emphasis on the trades in recent generations and funneled our nation’s youth toward careers in white collar industries. This has left the manufacturing industry with a narrowing stream of incoming talent and made it difficult for manufacturers to find quality workers.
"In my opinion, VU shines as the most comprehensive Precision Machining Technology program in Indiana and is one of the few in the country to offer specialized training in manual machining, CNC machining, metal stamping, die and plastic injection mold building. When the opportunity arose for Hurco to partner with VU in 2013, we knew we had to make it happen.
(The interior of the Hurco CNC Technology Center at Vincennes University)
"Hurco originally provided VU with 15 Hurco CNC machines for their students to learn on, which have since been replaced by 17 new machines. This has been a small price to pay for the incoming group of skilled, young machinists with experience on the Hurcos.
"Over the years, I have helped with training classes, participated on the advisory board, and assisted the program with miscellaneous needs as they arise. I’ve served a similar role with VU’s Area 31 Career Center, which offers trades-focused education, including CNC machining, to central Indiana high school students.
"It has been a pleasure to get to know the program coordinator, Jonathan Vennard, as well as the students, several of whom have become my colleagues at Hurco.
"I take pride in the fact that this partnership greatly benefits not only Hurco and VU but also the soon-to-be machinists and machine shop owners, whose shoes I was in not too long ago."
Hurco is proud to call VU a partner and believes the work being done to promote and train youth in manufacturing is more important than ever. Hurco is honored to be recognized by the State of Indiana and excited to see the VU Precision Machining Technology program continue to grow and evolve to better support students and the manufacturing industry.
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