Did you know there is a growing manufacturing skills gap in this country? According to a survey by The Manpower Group it shows for the past 6 years that SKILLED TRADES vacancies are the hardest jobs to fill in the U.S.
I recently learned that STIHL Inc. hosts an annual Manufacturing Technology Summer Camp for high school students at their Virginia Beach headquarters. The camp promotes careers in modern manufacturing and educates young people on both skilled trades and degreed career paths in manufacturing. This year, high school students across the state of Virginia had the unique opportunity to design and build an obstacle avoiding robot using STIHL components.
On the final day, five teams participated in a manufacturing competition challenging them to work together to assemble, market and present their finished products to a distinguished panel of judges. Each member of the winning team received a scholarship of $1,000 and the status of MTSC Champion!
Congratulations to team MotoRobotics, winners of this year’s STIHL Manufacturing Technology Summer Camp and recipients of $1,000 scholarships!
· Mike Camp – STIHL Inc. Coach
· Tomas Franzese – Kellam High School
· Joshua Bailey – Princess Anne High School
· Aniya Burnham – Landstown High School
· Kori Lea – Tallwood High School
· Miles Abernathy – First Colonial High School
· Alex Plutchak – Ocean Lakes High School
· Claudio Cela – Grassfield High School
· Whitney Pendleton – STIHL Inc. Assistant Coach
There are a lot of manufacturing jobs out there that are super high tech and don’t necessarily require a college degree, but technical training. The best part is, they are well-paying jobs that are being over-looked, hence the skilled trades gap!
Another bonus…this camp is FREE! These children had to apply and were chosen to attend! I am hoping my 2 boys will take an interest or at least willing to explore career options. College is important for many careers, but it isn’t the only way to have a successful career.
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