CTE News

Manufacturing Day Events Held Amid Ongoing Pandemic

Held annually on the first Friday in October with events that continue throughout the month, Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) helps show the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders. As manufacturers seek to fill 4 million high-skill, high-tech and high-paying jobs over the next decade, MFG Day empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges so they can help their communities and future generations thrive.

The 2021 MFG Day also included a strong emphasis on engaging digital and virtual events throughout the country.

Here are some of the events held by spring manufacturers in 2021.

Right: 8th grader John Todd working with teammate 6th grader Eric Higgins at a Robotics League event to corral and score as many yellow balls in the center goal as possible, six points for in the basket and two for around it.

Below: 8th graders Sebastian Quintero and Joshua Jacobson are working with 7th grade teammate Tryce Aviles on their robot, Charlie. Their robot is unique and they have 2 flyways that they power up to launch the ball into the goal in order to go for the 6-point shot.

Newcomb Spring

Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) is an important event for Newcomb Spring Corp at many of its manufacturing facilities. Newcomb has done many different activities over the years to engage its community and local schools.

“Newcomb has had open door events for our community to learn about manufacturing. We have had middle and high school students in our facility for tours, and we have participated in going to schools to talk about the types of jobs that are available in a manufacturing environment,” said Don Jacobson III of Newcomb Spring, who also serves as SMI’s secretary/treasurer. “Our favorite activity every summer is being part of the STEP-UP program in Chattanooga and bringing in high school students to learn about manufacturing though paid internships.”

In 2021, Newcomb took it a step further at its Tennessee location by volunteering to support an entire robotics program at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Chattanooga. This is the school’s first year in the program and Jacobson reports that the students are very excited and eager to be part of something hands on and fun.

“The Vex IQ program allows students to solve complex engineering tasks with teamwork, creativity, and problems solving,” explained Jacobson. “Best of all, the students get to build and rebuild robots throughout the year. These robots are both driven by team members and are programmed to run autonomously during skills competitions. This is a great program that Newcomb is excited to partner

with by providing leadership, teaching examples, and coaching from production team members that work on advanced CNC equipment and industrial robots.”

Introducing and energizing students is one of the main goals of MFG Day. This partnership works because there is interest in engineering and a support network of knowledge to share with these students. Jacobson, a 4th generation member of Newcomb Spring, is the coach for the team and believes that opportunities like VEX are one of the best ways to excite future generations in STEM. Jacobson believes that by starting at the middle school level, it opens future opportunities at the high school, college, or technical school level.

With so many openings in the manufacturing sector, programs like VEX are a great way to get the next generation excited about STEM activities, according to Jacobson.

Here are some quotes from students who are part of the VEX team: • “It’s inventive!” (Robby M.) • “It’s very fun and time consuming.” (Nathan T.) • “I like robotics because it keeps me away from my siblings.” (Mathew W.) • “I like robotics because robots are the future and an early lead (working on them) can go a long way.” (Jude R.) • “It allows for creativity.” (Oscar S.) • “It teaches me engineering and lets me be creative.” (Noah J.) Jacobson says, “While this partnership goes well beyond the month of October, the opportunity to work with students as they grow while utilizing problem solving and robotics is a win/win for the school, and our future manufacturing workforce.”

7th graders Jude Rodgers, Mathew Woodall, Robby Monahan and Nathan Tartar are working on the frame and catapult mechanism for their robots The box frame has intakes with orange rubber bands in order to scoop up and store the balls as they drive along the field.

OLPH Team 19370 is a combination of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. They are pictured with two of their robots and their practice field they use for the 2021/2022 game called Pitching In.

Mike Valoski, secondary foreman, demonstrates to students how springs are made on the machines.

Bob Powner, sales engineer (right), and Mike Valoski, secondary foreman, talk with the students about the manufacturing industry and the career opportunities available.

High school engineering students and their technology education/engineering teacher outside the Ace Wire headquarters in McKees Rock, Pennsylvania.

Ace Wire Spring & Form

Over the past seven years Ace Wire Spring & Form in McKees Rock, Pennsylvania (just outside Pittsburgh) has participated in MFG DAY by inviting local high school and college students down to its shop to learn more about career opportunities in manufacturing. This year the company signed up to be a part of the Manufacturing Innovation Challenge, a program that brings together the brightest minds of tomorrow’s workforce with southwestern Pennsylvania companies to engage in hands-on improvement projects.

Ace Wire Spring & Form is working with a local high school and their engineering students to develop a marketing plan for one of the company’s products called the SuperClip.

In the fall of 2021, nine students and one teacher took a tour of Ace Wire and to have the opportunity to see springs and wireforms being manufactured. Afterward, the students met with the company’s sales engineer and secondary foreman to answer questions and to learn more about career opportunities in the manufacturing industry.

“As we work with these students over the next few months, we hope to provide a fulfilling learning experience offering fresh perspectives and ideas on the attractive career opportunities the manufacturing industry offers,” explained John Higgins, marketing manager at Ace Wire Spring & Form.

For more information on MFG Day, visit creatorswanted.org/mfgday.