Woodhaven DCTC students adventure to Michigan’s iconic Roush Ford F150 plant to learn the fascinating manufacturing process and to learn about trade opportunities at Dorsey College.
The tour of the Roush plant started in a room where the students were shown old footage and told facts about Henry Ford. Here, students learned how The Ford Motor Company originated, its history, and how it grew from a starter company to the automotive powerhouse it is now.
After that, as the students were led into a room where amid fake fog and lights, a smaller-scale F150 rose from the floor. It demonstrates the whole build process of the truck, from the stamping of the body to it rolling off the line and being tested.
The next part of the tour took the students to the Skyview room on the top floor. With windows all around, students can view the whole 600-acre plant. When students got upstairs, they saw the infamous big blue oval on the side of the building outside. The Ford logo instantly grabbed all attention as students stepped out of the elevator. Additionally, there are informative plaques and signs all around the Skyview room.
After students gazed at the mammoth-sized plant for a while, they were treated to an assembly line walk-through. In simple words, the assembly line is a moving conveyor where each employee has a respective job and builds the vehicle as it runs through the conveyor.
As students walked through the assembly line, they watched the steps of the build process, such as putting the doors on and assembling the interior, until the vehicle was completed and ready for inspection.
The tour ended with a showroom of some of the most iconic cars Ford has produced, including the 1949 Ford, the Ford Thunderbird, and the iconic Ford Mustang.
After the Roush tour, students headed off to Dorsey College. Dorsey College is a trade school with many opportunities for all. They offer classes from HVAC to cosmetology.
The staff at Dorsey gave students an HVAC demonstration and a questionnaire for anyone interested in attending Dorsey.
Woodhaven woodshop teacher Greg Kutella underscored the importance of trades-based experiences like Manufacturing Day. “The Manufacturing Day field trip is very beneficial for many reasons. The key parts are the ones that make an impact on students’ lives. It can open their world and minds to new industries and opportunities that they could pursue. It’s also very educational. Not only do you get to see the build process of an F150 itself, but you learn the history and backstory of the company too.”
Overall, The Manufacturing Day field trip is an informational and interesting way to help students find out what they would like to do after high school by exposing them to new potential pathways.

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Mrs. Izzi

WHS students experience new future job opportunities and learn about the history and future of Ford Motor Company.