Hundreds of Omaha-area high school students are venturing beyond the classroom today to expand their understanding of and gain career insight into Nebraska’s second largest industry: manufacturing.
The Greater Omaha Chamber helped to coordinate the annual student engagements, connecting several high schools with a variety of regional manufacturers. In particular, the entities approach schools that have industrial science and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programming.
The student engagements coincide with Manufacturing Day, a yearly event in Nebraska that encourages manufacturers to open their doors and show what manufacturing is and is not – with the ultimate goal of bridging a pervasive manufacturing skills gap (more open jobs than skilled workers to fill them). According to the National Associate of Manufacturers, America’s manufacturing sector will need to fill nearly 3.5 million jobs over the next decade.
“By engaging students, we hope to raise awareness about the importance of manufacturing to the state and local economies and generate some real excitement about the career opportunities that will be waiting when they’re ready to enter the workforce,” said RJ Jerrick, the Chamber’s manager of business development.
In some cases, ninth and tenth grade students are travelling to and touring host manufacturing companies. In others, manufacturing professionals are visiting the schools for interactive presentations.
“We want students to understand that there is more to manufacturing than just making parts and pieces. No matter what your talent is I bet there is a position within the manufacturing field that you use those talents – not to mention the growth opportunities are really endless,” said Brian Turner, general manager of Distefano Technology & Manufacturing and chair of the Partnership’s Manufacturing Council.
Nebraska is home to more than 1,900 manufacturers, which employ nearly 10 percent of Nebraska’s workforce. Manufacturing contributes nearly $14 billion annually in Nebraska’s total economic output, compared to just over $8 billion a decade ago.
Participating Manufacturers include:
- Owen Industries
- Lozier
- Airlite Plastics
- Distefano
Participating Schools include:
- Omaha North High Magnet School
- Bellevue West
- Westside High School
- Omaha Northwest