Charleston, WV, December 17, 2021 – Explore the New Manufacturing Academy hosted a group of middle school students and area manufacturers to investigate some of the diverse and fantastic career opportunities that help West Virginia manufacturers deliver their products to the world.
Four local middle schools participated in a series of 30-minute hands-on learning labs designed to provide a cool snapshot of the manufacturing process needed to create West Virginia made products. Manufacturers provided insight into how employees make a difference in the success of the company. As part of the lab, students learned about the basic skills most works need to accomplish their jobs. Local community and technical students will be on hand to serve as mentors and to assist the with learning labs. BridgeValley provided all students with a tour of their Advanced Technology Center to help to highlight training and educational options available after high school graduation. The day wrapped up with a 20-minute team challenge exercise designed to help students understand the value of collaboration and communications.
“One hundred middle school students joined us for a fun day of hands-on learning about West Virginia’s manufacturing industry,” said Program Director Monica Cross, who oversees the WVMAEF and its Explore the New Manufacturing Program that links industry with educators and students across West Virginia. “This program is a great opportunity for students to interact with local manufacturers and gain valuable insight into the educational pathways that leads to promising careers in manufacturing.”
- Participating companies: Clearon Corp., Covestro LLC, and NGK Spark Plugs, USA
- Participating schools: Calhoun Middle School, Andrew Jackson Middle School, John Adams Middle School, and West Side Middle School
- Participating High School CTE: Carver Career & Technical Center
