Individuals ages 16 to 24 can test drive a career in manufacturing for free during one of the hands-on camps offered this August in South Charleston by the Marshall Advanced Manufacturing Center (MAMC).
MAMC will conduct two, one-week introductions to computer-controlled machining sessions for teens and young adults at its new Advanced Manufacturing Training & Education Center in the West Virginia Regional Technology Park. Each session will include an online component and a hands-on, in-person camp. Participants will learn to design and manufacture metals parts on computer-controlled equipment.
No experience or training is required to participate.
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“All we ask is that you have a desire to learn,” said Carol Howerton, MAMC’s director of workforce programs. “Machinists are in high demand in our region. This introduction will provide participants with a solid understanding of what machinists do day in and day out. Our hope is that some of the young people who participate will consider pursuing careers in manufacturing.”
MAMC partners with the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation to deliver the camps as part of America’s Cutting Edge, a U.S. Department of Defense-funded national initiative to restore the prominence of the U.S. machine tools sector through transformative thinking, technological innovation and workforce development.
Teens and young adults enrolling in either of the August youth camps will receive lunch and snacks each day and are eligible for travel stipends thanks to financial support from the Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation (GKVF) through a Bridges to Opportunity partnership.
“The Greater Kanawha Valley Foundation is excited to partner with the Marshall University Advanced Manufacturing Center’s Bridges to Opportunity (BTO) program,” said Todd Dorcas, CED program officer for GKVF. “By connecting participants to a training pathway to in-demand, quality, well-paying employment opportunities, BTO is a significant community asset.”
To learn more or register for one of the upcoming sessions, visit www.mfg.marshall.edu/cnc-bootcamps. Additional in-person camps will be scheduled throughout the next several months in both South Charleston and Huntington. Register for the online component now to be notified about future dates.
July 25, 2023
