Nine grants of $2,500 each were awarded by Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs® to community and technical colleges that offer day camp experiences that introduce young people (ages 12-18) to careers in manufacturing and engineering.
According to Gerald Shankel, President and CEO of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl., the purpose of the manufacturing camp grants is to provide a positive, hands-on experience so young people will consider manufacturing as a career option.
The 2011 grant winners (listed alphabetically by state) are:
o Rock Valley College, Rockford, Ill.
o Triton College, River Forest, Ill.
o Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minn.
o Pine Technical College, Pine City, Minn.
o Itawamba Community College, Tupelo, Miss.
o Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College, Ogden, Utah
o Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton, Va.
o Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, Wis.
o Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Green Bay, Wis.
"There is an ever-increasing demand for highly skilled professionals who can design, program and operate technology," said Traci Tapani, NBT board member and co-owner of Wyoming Machine Inc., a metal fabrication services company in Stacy, Minn. "Thousands of manufacturing companies like mine, located across North America, already see the impact of a manufacturing skilled labor shortage despite the recent recession and high unemployment statistics. Creating a skilled workforce in the trades is vital to the future of America, and it all starts with introducing young people to the career potential in this sector and providing an engaging hands-on experience," Tapani adds.
The camps target youth at the critical level of middle school and secondary education, exposing them to math, science and engineering principles, while providing them with an opportunity to see and work with technology being used in industry and learn about the high level of skills that will be required from the workforce.
"The purpose of the manufacturing camp grants is to provide a positive, hands-on experience so young people will consider manufacturing as a career option," said Gerald Shankel, president & CEO of FMA and NBT. "We need to increase the pool of available, highly skilled workers to avoid an otherwise inevitable skilled labor crisis as Baby Boomers retire. This will definitely improve future prospects for our economy," Shankel adds.
Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs: The Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl., also issues scholarships to students attending community colleges and trade schools pursuing careers in manufacturing. More information on NBT is available by visiting www.NutsAndBoltsFoundation.org.
Based in Rockford, Ill., the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International, is a professional organization with more than 2,100 members working together to improve the metal forming and fabricating industry.
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