[laugher]
Speaker 1 [00:00]: Thank you.
Speaker 2 [00:01]: Let’s talk about “convergent technology.” You mentioned that, again, for–again–for people when they think when–what do you mean when you say “convergent technology?”
Speaker 1 [00:11]: Right. So, think of converging as like “integration.” So, “coming together.” So when you have automation mixed with electrical stuff mixed with, you know, raw materials, mixed with quality, mixed with pneumatics and all kinds of other stuff; that is convergent technology. And all of that comes together, um, in manufacturing, and construction, and in design, and engineering…to create a product or what-have-you in today’s world.
Speaker 2 [00:48]: I don’t–I don’t want to let things get away with me, you know, chasing different things, [laughs] but what are some of the degrees that kids can get when they go to Missouri Western and they get involved with the Houlne Center for Convergent Technology?
Speaker 1 [01:03]: Yeah, absolutely. So, we currently have degrees at–bachelor’s degrees–that are in Mechanical Engineering Technology, Construction Engineering Technology, as well as bachelor in Cybersecurity. So there are students this Spring who are already out in the Houlne Center doing hands-on Applied Learning, utilizing the machines out there. And those machines are called “trainers”, um, which I find…interesting because you think of a trainer as a person usually, not a piece of equipment. But, this is equipment that they can actually put their hands on and do things, and troubleshoot, and learn how to utilize actual – the same types of machines that they’re going to encounter at their real world job if you will when they leave the university.
Speaker 2 [01:46]: And when they get these degrees they’re ready.
Speaker 1 [01:48]: They are.
Speaker 2 [01:49]: They’re gonna be ready to step in and go to the Gray Manufacturing Center sort of thing.
Speaker 1 [01:53]: That’s exactly right. And so, not only will they have the knowledge, but they will also have incorporated the actual experience. Which, is really what manufacturers want, is people to be skilled-up and ready to go day one.
Speaker 2 [02:04]: I think that’s what every employer wants–
Speaker 1 [02:06]: Oh yes.
Speaker 2 [02:07]: –somebody that’s ready to go, has had some kind of hands-experience. This is incredible that it’ll give it to them. One of the things I thought about, and it always comes to me, Cybersecurity. That’s just growing and growing cause I don’t know how many times on this program we talk about frauds and scams and that sort of thing and–and then people trying to do things get a link and into your computer system. Cybersecurity is just an incredibly growing field isn’t it?
Speaker 1 [02:33]: It is, and it’s one of those that’s ever-changing. And inside of the Houlne Center, we actually have, um, they call it the “war room.” [laughs] Where students actually get together and they problem solve on how they fix something that is going wrong. And so it could be, you know, they have to be able to identify how someone is getting in through a computer system, right, in order to block them from coming in that direction. And so, in order to do that, um, like one of the classes is “Ethical Hacking.” And so, “ethical” being the key term there. [laughs] Um, but you know they have–they have to understand how to like, um, how like a lock works and so that’s one of the things the instructor uses is they actually show them how to pick a lock. Like a, I forget what it’s called, but like a one channel locked, two and three…and then that helps them to visualize, like there are all these different, you know, components like a firewall, and then a, you know, and then there’s a password…and then there’s this and there’s that. You have to get through all of those in order to, um, make it into someone’s system. And so the more of those locks you have in place, the harder it is for people to penetrate your system.
Speaker 2 [03:47]: I think, you know, I bring that up–my son-in-law is in computers, and has been for a long time…and he sat down with the president of an unnamed university, wasn’t Missouri Western, but he said, “Your system is too easy to get into.” With his laptop, he sat him down, and he showed him how he could get into the system.
Speaker 2 [04:05]: Exactly. And–and they need to know that.
Speaker 1 [04:08]: This is a kid in his twenties showing him, “Listen, you can do this. You gotta get this up.”
Speaker 2 [04:13]: That’s right. You need to protect your systems, and so more and more we need Cybersecurity professionals who are able to do exactly what your son did. Like figure out how to get in so that they can tell them, “Hey, your system is not secure. Here’s what you can do to fix that.”
Speaker 1 [04:30]: Tell me–let’s talk about some of the capabilities that you have at the Convergent Technology center.
Speaker 2 [04:35]: Okay! Yes, definitely. So, one of the things I wanted to mention is that the trainers that I mentioned earlier, which is the actual equipment that you get your hands on and train, um, they–we have several of those that are what we call them: “tabletop trainers”. And so all that means is that we can bring them to you. So whatever field you’re in, we can bring you the tabletop trainers, so we can do on-site instruction, or we can leave them there and you can hook a laptop to them and do virtual stuff, but you’re still getting the hands-on component of it. So, it’ll tell you like, “Hey, you need to do this, this and this.” And then you actually do it on the real trainer and not just in the virtual world on the computer.
Speaker 1 [05:15]: So, when businesses are thinking about this, can we reach out to you?
Speaker 2 [05:19]: Absolutely.
Speaker 1 [05:20]: And say, “Come [Speaker 2: yes!] come to our–wow!
Speaker 2 [05:23]: “Come here and train two people.” Or, um, “Come out here and just…we need this one machine to-to help them, you know, upskill on it.” Or, if they would prefer, they can always come out to the Houlne Center, and we can do it there. Um, but it–it can be either way, so it’s very, very flexible, and it’s also important for everyone to note that we are able to do things evenings, weekends, and of course, days. Um, but it’s not just your typical 8-5, because we understand that that don’t always work for some of the companies in town.