Last Updated on September 18, 2016 by cassnetwork
KOKOMO, Ind. — Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region will welcome area high school students as well as community members to open houses at its School of Technology facilities in Kokomo and Logansport Oct. 7 in celebration of MFG DAY (National Manufacturing Day).
On both campuses, the event, open to the public, is set for 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. In Kokomo, visitors can tour the technology building on Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Campus, 1912 Trialon Court. The Logansport open house will be in Ivy Tech’s Logansport Campus, 1 Ivy Tech Way.
“Manufacturing Day 2016 is a great time to talk about the amazing employment opportunities opening up in America’s manufacturing industry,” said Rodni Lytle, dean of the School of Technology for Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Region. “The need for trained and qualified employees is rapidly expanding right here in north central Indiana manufacturing facilities. Ivy Tech is the state’s premier training partner for jobs and careers in manufacturing and all the options will be on display at the open houses.”
National Manufacturing Day was established as “as celebration of modern manufacturing meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers.” The effort, supported by a group of industry sponsors, is designed to give manufacturers “an opportunity to open their doors and show what manufacturing is – and what it isn’t – to begin to address the skilled labor shortage they face, connect with future generations … and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry.”
The Ivy Tech open houses and open houses by a number of area manufacturers are among the more than 1,000 events being planned throughout North America as part of the MFG DAY observance. The Kokomo Region activities are in conjunction with a statewide effort by Ivy Tech Community College to showcase MFG DAY across the state.
Lytle said faculty members, all of whom have a wealth of industry experience in their backgrounds, and current students to share how Ivy Tech is supporting local manufacturing with quality training, hands-on approaches to today’s high-tech manufacturing environment, and upgrading skills of current workers. Visitors will be able to participate in hands-on lab demonstrations in the areas of electrical and mechanical, robotics, machine tool, and welding technologies.
The events will also include representatives from local industries offering information about career opportunities they can offer as well as advisors from Ivy Tech Corporate College and WorkOne to talk about short-term grant-funded training for people who wish to enter manufacturing.
“Today, with the support of industry partners like FCA US, Haynes International, Small Parts, Park 100 Foods, and others, Ivy Tech leads the way in workforce training with a variety of options and time commitments,” Lytle said.
“You may want entry-level training to move through one of Ivy Tech’s short-term certificate or technical certificate programs. Or you may be seeking job advancement and the midlevel jobs that can come with an associate of applied science degree. Or you can build to one of an associate of science degree that will allow you to transfer to four-year universities,” he continued.
“No matter where you are on this path to the future, it’s worth taking a closer look at what community college can provide in terms of training, cost, accessibility, transfer, and job outcomes.”
Along with the open houses, as part of MFG DAY, Ivy Tech is working with a number of area manufacturers who are offering plant tours to high school students in industrial technology programs to give them a first-hand opportunity to see what modern manufacturing is really like.
“This will be a special day for our ITEP (Integrated Technology Education Program) students who are receiving training in advanced manufacturing processes and technologies through a federal Youth CareerConnect grant in partnership with nine high schools and three career centers in our area,” said Jan Bailey, ITEP program manager.
“As we gear up for the third of four years funded by the grant,” Bailey continued, “the students will be touring some of the great industry partners who support ITEP, many of whom offer work-study opportunities during the senior year that can open doors to future employment.”
For more information, contact Tammy Herschberger at 765-252-5487 or therschberger1@ivytech.edu , or Jan Bailey at 765-252-5541 or jabailey@ivytech.edu .
SOURCE: News release from Ivy Tech Community College