It’s never too early for students to start thinking about career possibilities, so they can set goals to work toward. But sometimes they need a spark to help them determine which path to follow.
Faurecia Clean Mobility, a large international automotive supplier with a Columbus operation, provided a potential spark when it hosted a manufacturing expo Oct. 22. The event, held in conjunction with national Manufacturing Day, included other major employers in the area: NTN Driveshaft, Cummins Inc., LHP Engineering and Toyota Industrial Equipment Manufacturing.
About 100 students in Grades 7 to 9 from Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. and Brown County Schools attended.
The students toured Faurecia’s plant, talked to engineers, observed virtual-reality demonstrations, tried a welding simulator, viewed displays and learned about high school programs offered through the Columbus Area Career Connections (C4) program, for example.
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While finals decisions on which career paths to follow are likely years away, the manufacturing expo’s up-close, hands-on setup got the students thinking and planted seeds of possibilities.
That’s good, because there’s a great need locally and nationwide for workers with advanced skills in the manufacturing industry. An existing skills gap causes many employers to have unfilled positions.
The manufacturing expo has potential benefits for local manufacturers students and the community, and its collaborative nature is welcome. Most importantly, it is worth investing in for the future.
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