As a pioneer in the industry since 2008, we believe that taking time to give back to the community and support young students is a crucial part of helping shape a brighter future for our next generation of engineers. There are many ways to support a community of young students, including participation in local events and collaborations with engineering clubs that offer valuable opportunities for the students. In this article, we will cover highlights of our collaborations with some of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) Engineering Clubs over the last two semesters.
How We Started Collaborations in BCIT
As we look toward the future, it is crucial to invest in the next wave of innovators and problem-solvers who will shape our world for the better. Engineers play a vital role in developing solutions to some of the most pressing challenges we face, from climate change to healthcare. By guiding and empowering young minds towards careers in engineering, we are ensuring that our communities have the talent and expertise needed to tackle these issues head-on.
Our Corporate Social Responsibility mission includes improving community well-being and empowering individuals to overcome obstacles to build a lasting legacy for future generations. Many of our team members previously studied at BCIT and are based within driving distance of the Vancouver, BC area. Because of this, we determined that having student-oriented activities and collaborations together with BCIT would be a perfect way to start our community collaborations locally. After communicating with BCIT staff and getting in touch with a few BCIT engineering students, our team was then able to strategize steps we could take to best support the BCIT engineering community. Besides guest speaker appearances from in-class invitations through professors, we also developed ongoing collaborations with clubs such as the BCIT Robotics Club, IEEE BCIT, and BCIT Racing Club since September 2023.
Tutorial Sessions
Our team’s informative tutorial sessions with the BCIT Robotics Club helped students develop better theoretical knowledge of how to use and apply linear motion-related technology to projects both in and out of school. Some of the topics we have covered include overviewing the crucial aspects of electric actuators that we need to consider for any project such as:
- What are electric linear actuators?
- How they work
- Force and speed
- IP rating
- Stroke length and dimensions
- Positional feedback types
- Duty Cycle
- Brushed vs. Brushless motors
In another tutorial session, we covered the previous university sponsorship projects we have done over the years, discussing topics and project ideas that may inspire BCIT students to make their own projects in class such as:
- Story behind the projects
- Products used
- How these projects were made
- Challenges involved
- Final results
Technical Workshops
The technical workshops our team had together with the BCIT Robotics Club offered students valuable exposure and glimpses of the industry while developing hands-on skills in school. We are glad to have been a part of making a collaborative space for enthusiastic engineering students where they can learn, practice, communicate, create projects, and work on engineering project implementations.
In-person guidance and supervision from our team ensured students had the opportunity to physically use our electric actuators and other motion control products, and learn the process of selecting, wiring, and operating electric linear actuators. These hands-on engineering experiences working with tools, electromechanical equipment, and motion control accessories are valuable skills that students can apply to their future jobs after graduating. Students also gain Progressive Automations as a reference for their resumes and cover letters.
Product Donations and Sponsorships
Supporting students with product donations and sponsorships is essential in making sure they have the proper means and opportunity to work on projects. During our in-person visits at BCIT, our team was impressed with the passion, dedication, and hard work of the BCIT Racing Club students in making a new car from scratch for their previous international BAJA SAE competition. Their 2024 project sponsorship application was nothing short of impressive, and we are proud to sponsor them with 4x PA-QR1 quick release actuators for their car lift project. We wish the BCIT Racing Club the best of luck for the upcoming Baja SAE California competition and we look forward to networking with the students once again during our next visit!
As the sponsors of the BCIT Robotics Club and IEEE BCIT, Progressive Automations also donated a range of equipment to both clubs such as electric linear actuators, power supplies, and joystick controllers. These donated products would benefit students who were interested in using them for personal projects, capstone projects, prototype tests, or just to gain hands-on engineering experience working with electromechanical equipment.
“Progressive Automations has been a huge supporter of BCIT students and clubs. They were our first sponsor and have been a great resource for professional and industry experience.”
Spencer Arnold
BCIT Robotics Club
2023 IEEE BCIT Christmas Party
During the 2023 IEEE BCIT Christmas party, Nathan Bong, our Engineer & Content Creator at Progressive Automations, had a wonderful time celebrating the end of the 2023 finals and fall semester with BCIT students! Everyone had a great time enjoying the delicious food while networking, sharing stories, holiday plans, and experiences, and playing fun games! During the party, we made it extra special by gifting the students free water bottles and lunch bags while also treating everyone to an array of desserts and snacks - our way of spreading joy and good cheer!
RC Classic 2024
For the RC Classic hosted by IEEE BCIT on March 20th, 2024, Stanfield Chui and Nathan Bong were invited as IEEE BCIT sponsors and engineering guest speakers. Throughout the competition, during breaks, and while students were enjoying the complimentary snack, both Stanfield and Nathan were able to:
- network, connect, and socialize with students
- offer industry insights
- discuss their experiences at work and school
- share stories
- answer questions from students
Nathan was also one of the judges of the 2024 RC Classic, assisting with keeping drag racing and track lap times, penalty counts, and the sumo bot judge's decision. A big thank you to the @ieeebcit students for the warm invitation and their amazing job hosting the competition!
On-going Panel Presentations
Every semester, professors encourage graduates who are currently working in the industry to visit as guest speakers to share their experiences and talk to BCIT Engineering students through class panel presentations. These panel presentations include those such as A&I (Automation and Instrumentation) Student Nights and ECET (Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology) Communications Panel Presentations at BCIT.
Our team’s most recent panel presentation was on March 21st, 2024, by Nathan Bong for the ECET Communications Panel Presentations at BCIT. However, Progressive Automations team members from different departments have been continuously going to panel presentations such as these over the years to talk to BCIT Engineering students and empower them with:
- school advice
- job searching tips and strategies
- our experiences at work
- discuss career opportunities after graduating from school
- general questions and answers
IN SUMMARY
At Progressive Automations, we take pride in supporting our community and empowering the future generations of engineers. Thank you to everyone in the BCIT Engineering community for working together with us over the last two semesters, we look forward to all our future collaborations to come!
To see more of what we have been doing so far, check out our Corporate Social Responsibility page below:
https://www.progressiveautomations.com/pages/csr
If you are interested in discussing community collaborations or learning more about our products, please do not hesitate to reach out to us! We are experts in what we do and will be happy to assist in any way we can.
sales@progressiveautomations.com | 1-800-676-6123