Advanced Manufacturing

Instructor Bio

My name is Kent Cates, and I am the Advanced Manufacturing Instructor at Brighton High School. I have been an educator for 17 years, bringing together my backgrounds in engineering technology, industry, business, and education to give students hands-on learning experiences that connect the classroom to the real world.

Before entering education, I worked in the medical device industry, including global marketing leadership roles with Smith & Nephew, where I managed multimillion-dollar orthopedic product lines and helped bring new technologies and products to market. That industry experience continues to shape the way I teach today—emphasizing problem-solving, teamwork, technical skills, communication, and the expectations students will encounter in the workplace.

At Brighton High School, I teach courses in Principles of Manufacturing, Digital Electronics, and Mechatronics. My goal is to provide students with opportunities to learn by doing—building, wiring, programming, troubleshooting, designing, and working with the same types of technologies used in modern manufacturing and automation.

I believe some of the best learning happens when students are given a challenge, the right tools, and the opportunity to figure things out. I enjoy taking complicated concepts and finding practical, hands-on ways to make them understandable and relevant.

More than anything, I want students to leave my program with more than technical knowledge. I want them to develop confidence, work ethic, problem-solving skills, teamwork, and a willingness to keep learning—skills that will serve them whether they enter the workforce, pursue technical training, attend college, or follow another career path.

Contact: kcates@tipton-county.com