Contact: Jackie Lundy
The Community Education Center
(814) 781-3437
jackielundy@communityedcenter.com
SMAHS Partners with Local Companies to Celebrate Manufacturing
St. Marys-
In celebration of National Manufacturing Day (MFG Day), the St. Marys Area Metal Working Occupations class visited Comtec Manufacturing, Horizon Technology, and Abbott Furnace Company. MFG Day is a national initiative intended to engage students in dynamic manufacturing careers. MFG Day addresses common misperceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing is — and what it isn’t. By working together during and after MFG DAY, manufacturers will begin to address the skilled labor shortage they face, connect with future generations, take charge of the public image of manufacturing, and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry.
Metal Working Instructor Ben Schneider accompanied his students on the company tours and was very pleased with the experience. “We have a group of very talented students at SMA. The kids really enjoyed the tours. This was a great way to expose them to our local manufacturing industry and show how what they learn in the metal shop is applied on the job. We’re hoping that these types of activities will help our kids make connections with local companies and educate them about the great opportunities available to them right here in Elk County.”
Tom Weible, Strategic Business Advisor of Northwest Industrial Resource Center (NWIRC), was also along for the tours. NWIRC supports the MFG Day initiative by offering mini-grant assistance to offset the field trip expenses for the school. The NWIRC worked with The Community Education Center’s DISCOVER Partnership to coordinate tours for the students. Tom was very impressed with both the students and company hosts and was amazed by the unique opportunities available in the region “The manufacturers did a fantastic job of highlighting the success of the industry in the region and explaining the opportunities available to students after graduation. St. Marys Area is doing great work preparing their students for the future. It was a pleasure to meet such an awesome group of kids!”
More information about National MFG Day and PA Manufacturing Week can be found by visiting www.MFGDAY.com or http://mfgweek.dced.pa.gov/
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Pictures Attached
Group Photo: "Students and teachers from the St. Marys Area Metal Working Occupations program pose with Arnie Caretti, Operations Director at Abbott Furnace Company during a recent tour to celebrate Manufacturing Day 2016"
Small Group Photo: "Doug Bauer, Human Resources Manager at Horizon Technology leads a group of SMAHS students on a tour of the company during Manufacturing Day 2016”