We have worked with our friends in local industry and the Henderson County Public Schools to produce a short video that highlights some of the misconceptions and realities of today’s manufacturing career opportunities and work environment. Eighteen middle school students enrolled in Career Technical Education courses were interviewed about their perception of manufacturing as a career path, and ten manufacturing companies participated to demonstrate the realities.
The result is a 4-minute video that illustrates the skills gap challenge we face locally, while emphasizing the importance of making critical connections between students and employers.
Tomorrow, over 400 8th and 9th grade students will tour ten manufacturing locations, and they will watch this video before they go.
The video and the student tours are all part of the Made in Henderson County initiative, focusing on enhancing the connection between manufacturing businesses and the school system, while telling the story of manufacturing, the products that are made here and the people who make them. Our goal is raise the visibility of manufacturing as a viable career path to ensure that Henderson County students have diverse employment opportunities in the community, and manufacturing businesses have access to skilled, local talent.
Thanks to the companies that participated in our video, including Kiln Drying Systems, UPM Raflatac, Continental, Cane Creek Cycling Components, BorgWarner Thermal, Diamond Brand, Legacy Paddlesports, Outrider USA, Alpha Tech/Speedflex, and Selee.