Tyler is fascinated by automation. Luckily, he’s a student in the Electromechanical/Mechatronics Technology program at Lehigh Career & Technical Institute.

The Northern Lehigh High School sophomore spends part of every weekday in his program lab experimenting with the high-tech equipment manufacturers use to automate production. There’s a lot of trial and error, but it’s easy to find out whether you’re on the right track or not.

“You can answer your own question by just working with the equipment,” Tyler says. “It also gives you respect for the equipment; these machines are worth thousands of dollars. You get to know the value of components.”

If students finish their assigned projects early, they can tackle side projects. In Tyler’s case, he’s helping classmates program an AndyMark robot with a roboRIO controller. And recently, he teamed up with LCTI students from the Commercial Baking and Pre-Engineering & Engineering Technology programs to set up a robotic arm that served cupcakes for a “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” competition. The group placed second.

Next year, Tyler hopes to secure a spot in LCTI’s rotational internship program. Interns spend 24 weeks getting hands-on experience at four Lehigh Valley manufacturing facilities.

After graduation, Tyler plans to get a college degree and then find a job that will keep him in the field. “I’d be good with a broad range of jobs in an industrial setting. I do not want to be an office person,” he says.

Learn more about the Electromechanical/Mechatronics Technology program and how it prepares high school students for college and career success.