Manufacturing Day gives St. Joseph students a look at local career opportunities

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) — The St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce is partnering with local manufacturers and the St. Joseph School District to host Manufacturing Day.

Manufacturing Day is a national day set aside to recognize the importance of the manufacturing industry and the diverse, highly skilled jobs that are available in our community. 

About 400 students from Hillyard Technical Center will be divided into groups to tour seven St. Joseph manufacturing companies.

Some of those companies include: Altec Industries, Inc., BlueScope Buildings North America, I&M Machine and Fabrication, Midland Steel Company, Snorkel International, LLC, Summit Truck Bodies and Ventura Foods

The students were split into two groups and toured the company, where they watched employees in action.

The experience helps students see how what they learn in the classroom can apply to a future career.

"It's important for the kids into the industry, and see how the skill they're learning in the classroom, shop and labs is applied to the actual career they might be heading into," Sean Edwards, Hillyard Technical Center welding instructor said.

Manufacturing day allow students to see different roles they could pursue after graduation.

"It let them see some different options because they get to go two years," Edwards said. "They can see two different business, and see some variation on what they could be doing. Let them get an idea, and which route they may want to go once they graduate."

St. Joseph has a large and thriving manufacturing industry. According to St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, about 25.5% of the local workforce works in manufacturing, which is more than double the national average.

"St. Joe is pretty lucky place for these kids because there are tons of manufacturing they could go into. They could do welding, industrial maintenance and precision machining," Edwards said. "They can be on the engine side with automotive or diesel applications. It's pretty limitless."

Hillyard Technical Center senior Kaylee Gust wants to go into welding after graduation. She said manufacting day introduced her to new machinery.

"I didn't know that there were machines that actually made beams for you. I thought they all had to measure it out and weld it themselves," she said. "It's pretty cool that they have all of these machines out here."

Gust talks about how seeing the welders was the most interesting to see during the tour.

"I been in, not very many but a lot shops like this, and I never really seen a whole bunch of welders just spreaded out and not actually working together. It's pretty cool to me," she said.

Edwards hope the students see the great opportunities that are available locally.

"Pretty close to St. Joe and give them some ideas on what they might want to do," he said.

After the tour, students were able to ask tour guides questions about manufacturing or different opportunities.