×

Students learn about manufacturing opportunities

From left, Jeremy Garber, unit manager for Miba, speaks with Mason Weckbacher, a Fort Frye High School freshman, on Friday during Manufacturing In Action at the Washington County Career Center. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

MARIETTA — Students from the region learned about opportunities during Manufacturing in Action at the Washington County Career Center, an event marking National Manufacturing Day on Friday.

“It’s all about awareness,” Tony Huffman, superintendent of the Career Center, said. “One opportunity they have, that I feel like maybe we didn’t, they have such a better opportunity for career awareness. We’re going to have probably north of 300 kids today that will get exposed to manufacturing careers. It’s all about making sure the kids know what is available for them in the Mid-Ohio Valley.”

Juniors and seniors from Warren, Belpre, Marietta, Frontier, Waterford, Fort Frye, the Wood County Technical Center, the Caperton Center and the Washington County Career Center high school participated in the event that included local manufacturers with interactive activities promoting manufacturing careers in the area.

Among manufacturers was Miba Sinter USA LLC of McConnelsville. The company designs, manufactures and supplies engine bearings for locomotives and gas and oil compressors.

Company representatives spoke to students about the kinds of jobs and machines they have including C&C machines, electroplating, quality inspection and shipping.

Jenna Pitcher from Malta Dynamics spoke with students Friday during Manufacturing In Action at the Washington County Career Center. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

Jeremy Garber, unit manager for Miba, said students can learn how to program, how to interpret programs, how to calculate tooling and how to solve problems.

“Lots of problem solving,” Garber said. “It’s manufacturing. Things happen all the time. They have to have the critical thinking skills to get through the issue at the time. Lots of critical thinking.”

Garber said they are willing to train anyone willing to learn.

“Don’t overthink it,” Garber said. “Get started. A lot of the time we get overwhelmed, so we don’t want to try something new. Just get started on something. And the skills, and knowledge and life, will just unfold in front of you. Don’t get stuck at the start. Just jump in. Don’t be afraid to start new things.”

Other manufacturers and participants were EZG Manufacturing, Buckeye Educational Systems, Washington State Community College, the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, Malta Dynamics and Pactiv Evergreen.

Students controlled robots from Washington State Community College Friday during Manufacturing In Action at the Washington County Career Center. (Photo by Douglass Huxley)

About 20 percent of the jobs available in the Mid-Ohio Valley are in manufacturing, Huffman said. Manufacturing is more high tech and sophisticated these days, he said.

IT and manufacturing are getting closer together to where one can’t exist without the other, he said.

“Kids need to understand what opportunities exist here,” Huffman said. “The technology you’re seeing here today is state-wide, world-wide, it’s not a skill set that’s going to lock them in the Mid-Ohio Valley. They can travel with these skills.”

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today