Nitro-X camps, a program hosted by Minnesota state colleges and high schools through the Minnesota State Transporation Center of Excellence, are offering middle and high school students in Minnesota a unique opportunity to explore careers in the transportation industry.
Last week, Nitro-X made its way to the ASE Instructor Training Conference in Minneapolis, held at the 3M Skills Development Center in St. Paul.
The camps use hands-on activities with radio-controlled cars to facilitate technical skill-building and career exploration. They cover various fields within the transportation industry, including automotive technology, auto body/collision repair, diesel, heavy equipment, and powersports.
Under the guidance of industry professionals, participants engage in practical tasks such as preparing and painting radio-controlled car bodies, using materials and techniques that reflect real-world applications.
In addition to these hands-on activities, the camps include tours of local businesses, such as the 3M Skills Development Center, during an instructor workshop. This provides students with a comprehensive view of the transportation industry. Previous tours have included visits to car dealerships and auto body shops.
The development center in St. Paul could be seen as more eye-opening to the kids as the interior was packed with mural-style wall art. The outside space was also ideal for the young gearheads to practice racing their RCs.
Some of the vehicles that students built were showcased on Wednesday, July 17, during the conference.
“Our goal for the Nitro-X social event is to show how the program works to those attending the instructor training conference and have some fun with the instructors by actually racing the cars,” said Mike Coley, president of the ASE Education Foundation, in a news release about the showcasing. “Instructors can take home the Nitro-X concept and launch summer camps and programs in their communities to inform more middle school students about education and career opportunities in our industry. This is another way we can reduce the technician shortage.”
Halfway through the conference week, instructors and industry leaders got to race the RC cars while they socialized in a room filled with laughter, the aroma of delicious fried foods, and drinks that the builders of the RC cars were likely not old enough to enjoy.
It was an appreciated addition to the experience at the ASE Instructor Training Conference.
