Creating Robots as a STEM Career Builder

Tom Bergeron reported on roi-nj.com that earlier this year, high school teacher Jim Hofmann, who has led the FIRST robotics team at New Jersey’s Newton High School for the past 13 years, brought his school’s team to the FIRST World Robotics Championship in Houston. At a time when employers are seeking employees qualified in science, technology, math and engineering (STEM) for the key jobs, Jim noted that robotics programs across the state are developing hard-working students with in-demand STEM skills. “I would venture to say that probably 90% of kids who enter the program and stick with it for four years will wind up either owning, running or managing a business because of all the really good skills they learn along the way,” Hofmann said.  “Robotics teaches them all the basic engineering skills: how to design, work with motors and electronics, build with metals (mostly aluminum) and work with 3D modeling (including SolidWorks and Fusion 360 software programs).”  Find out more about First Mid-Atlantic, which works with all schools with robotics clubs in New Jersey, Delaware and Eastern Pennsylvania here. Newton teacher Jim Hofmann, shown, can be reached at jhofmann[at]newtonnj[dot]org.