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Freshmen experience today's manufacturing [Daily Gazette, Sterling, Ill.](Daily Gazette (Sterling, IL) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 24--STERLING -- The first Manufacturing Day observance in the Sauk Valley on Friday gave about 500 freshmen from 17 area high schools much to think about. The theme was Make It Here!, but the focus for the students, educators, and manufacturing representatives was on one word -- skills. "Manufacturing today is high-tech, clean, and exciting, but you have to have a skill," Kim Purvis, Whiteside Area Career Center director, told the students. Jim Prombo, career placement coordinator at Morrison Institute of Technology, stressed the importance of students taking an active role in planning their futures. "You need to think about what you want to do now -- time flies by. Not to decide is to decide. If you don't take an active part, someone else will decide for you. It has to be your choice, not someone else's," Prombo said. Manufacturing Day participation is part of a grassroots effort by companies and educators to tackle the skills gap problem. Local manufacturers believe that starts with changing perceptions about manufacturing at an early age. The students gathered at Sterling High School's Centennial Auditorium for a multimedia presentation about careers in manufacturing. They then boarded buses, and each group toured a different local manufacturing site. The students finished the day at Sauk Valley Community College, where they had lunch, visited with company representatives, and toured the college's technology area. Many of the students had parents and grandparents who had worked at Northwestern Steel and Wire and other local companies that have played a role in the area's rich manufacturing tradition. The percentage of people in the 5-county region working in manufacturing is still double that of the national average. Rylee Tabor, of Sterling High School, said her grandfather worked at the mill. She said she believes boys think about manufacturing more than girls, but she hasn't ruled it out. "Sometimes guys are more interested in getting their hands dirty, but now that manufacturing is more high-tech, I'd consider it more now," Rylee said. Sterling High's Trisha Penaflor said her father recently started a job he really likes at Astec Mobile Screens. While she found the day's events interesting, she said her future is already plotted out. "I want to design movie sets, so I'll probably be going to school in California," Trisha said. For some of the students, the Manufacturing Day tour was the first time they had been in a production plant. Not the case, however, for Brad McClendon of Sterling High. His father is a longtime employee of Deere & Co. in the Quad Cities, and tours of that plant have Brad pointed in the direction of manufacturing. "I think I'm going to Sauk for welding, and do the welding program at Whiteside Area Career Center," Brad said. "It's a high-paying job, but I think I'm going to get a manufacturing job here before I go to school, just to make sure I like it." The MIT booth was a popular one during the expo session. School representatives visited Bureau Valley High School a couple weeks ago, and left a favorable impression on several students. "I have a friend that went to MIT, and I've heard good things about it," said Bureau Valley's Destiny Fleming. "I'm really into art, especially photography, so I might be interested in a design program." Bureau Valley freshman Devin Cole is considering MIT for building construction, while classmate Trevor Sights said he isn't ruling anything out yet. "I might do something in manufacturing, but I'm considering everything," Trevor said. "Whatever pays the best will be important." A group from Dixon High School spent part of the day touring Astec Mobile Screens. Brianna Johnson and Elizabeth McGuire said both their grandfathers worked at the steel mill, but neither girl had really considered a career in manufacturing. "I'm not positive, but I don't think it's something I would consider," Brianna said. Another Dixon High student, Alex Zarate, said he has plans to go to a 4-year college. "I want to go for education, and probably teach language arts and reading," Alex said. Earlier in the day, Cary Robbins, human resources manager at Sterling Steel, made a compelling case for manufacturing opportunities that exist in the Sauk Valley. The need for skilled workers is great, and projections show that the need is expected to increase by the time the freshmen enter the workforce. "The idea that you'll earn more money with more education is not necessarily true," Robbins said. "The average worker in manufacturing brings home $77,000 in pay and benefits. Many also get retirement benefits, something many employees don't get anymore." According to a Northern Illinois University study released in 2013, "Promoting Prosperity in Northwest Illinois", area manufacturers report that 25 percent of their employees are 55 and older. They also say that 83 percent believe there is a shortage of skilled labor, and 69 percent expect the shortage to get worse in the next 3 to 5 years. Alyssa Nuttall of Dixon High has her eye on one of the manufacturing sweet spots. Demand is high for welders, and her interest was piqued in a metals class. "It looks hard, but after I did it in class, I really enjoyed it," Alyssa said. John Gvozdjak, president and chief operating officer of Frantz Manufacturing, said the steering committee plans to continue Manufacturing Day events in the future, and possibly even bring the program to eighth-graders. Event organizers The organizing committee for Manufacturing Day events included representatives from Astec Mobile Screens, BorgWarner, Frantz Manufacturing, Raynor Garage Doors, Sterling Steel, UPM Raflatac, Wahl Clipper, Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center, Sauk Valley Community College, and Whiteside Area Career Center. ___ (c)2014 the Daily Gazette (Sterling, Ill.) Visit the Daily Gazette (Sterling, Ill.) at www.saukvalley.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |