Manufacturing Day – Guest Blog by Pamela Kidd
Manufacturing Day is a nationwide event first introduced in 2012 and, since that time, has grown to include more than 1,400 scheduled events across the United States. The attention focused on this day is meant to increase interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. These are underdeveloped educational fields in the United States and, as a result, federal and state governments are developing–with some already being implemented–several grants meant to correct this deficiency.
One of the many changes the Obama Administration has been advocating since coming into office is an effort to reorganize and rejuvenate the United States’ higher education system. One issue being faced is that many – if not most – colleges and universities do not offer a curriculum that adequately prepares non-traditional students to enter the job market. The administration wishes to address this problem by incentivizing colleges and universities to implement job training programs.
Recently, the Boston Globe reported that Massachusetts Community Colleges will be receiving $22.5 million in federal grant money to prepare students for STEM careers. In order to successfully implement these training programs, businesses must be encouraged to work directly with local schools. Uxbridge, Mass.-based Lampin Corporation is one company that needs no further encouragement.
A 100% employee-owned company, Lampin has long recognized the value of early interaction with local students and has been dedicated to helping develop the workforce of tomorrow for more than 20 years. Lampin routinely donates to the Blackstone Valley Education Foundation and takes on local students as interns. With the help of state-sponsored grants, Lampin is now in the process of training 30 new employees and was able to create two new full-time jobs.
Recently, Lampin participated in a local Career Fair at Northbridge Public High School. Lampin representatives educated the students about the manufacturing industry, as well as about the benefits of interning at Lampin. Internships at Lampin teach students valuable on-the-job training skills that are difficult to learn in a classroom, including teamwork, communication, and time management. Students can benefit from these skills whether they decide to attend college or immediately enter the workforce after high school.
On Manufacturing Day, Lampin will invite 40 students from local high schools to tour their facility in Uxbridge to learn about the manufacturing process. The goal is to continue offering exposure to manufacturing in the hope that more students will learn, find opportunities, and pursue a career in the field. The company’s participation contributes to the greater effort of increasing interesting in STEM education in the United States.
Author Bio:
Pamela Kidd is a professional writer who’s been featured in numerous publications, both in print and online. She got her start as an Arts and Entertainment Editor working for The Breeze newspaper and studied English at the James Madison University. Pamela Kidd is currently focusing on online media as a writer, content producer and also serves as a site editor for Applied Interactive. A photographer and artist, she tries to maintain balance with running and dreams of working in her own photography darkroom.