June signals the ending of a school year and planning for the next. It is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of the school year that is wrapping up. 

One initiative we are celebrating is getting into the middle school classrooms. The TSMA Manufacturing Career Dream Team members spoke to nine different sixth grade career exploration classes from January to May. Career exploration allows students to gain knowledge about their interests and skills as well as the career pathways available. Research finds that middle school is the most effective time for career guidance programs because they are already thinking about their futures and are open to career exploration. They want information that can help them match their specific skills and interests with potential careers.
 
In addition, the Dream Team spoke to a Girls in Engineering Class about careers for women in engineering and in another session on 3-D printers in the manufacturing workplace. They also spoke to a robotics class on how robotics is used in the manufacturing industry. Thank you for inspiring these middle school students Melany Wolf of Massman Automation, Brittany Wing of Vector Windows, Jimmy Jevnager of FORCE America, Derek Klimek of Massman Automation, Sam Ewald of Massman Automation, John Zipoy of Brenton Engineering, and Jason Crannell of ITW Heartland.
 
The Dream Team was also able to participate in three career fairs, two of which were new. Many schools are starting to reinstate their career fairs after several years of being dormant. Thank you for working at these career fairs to Brittany Wing of Vector Windows, Jimmy Jevnager of FORCE America, and John Zipoy of Brenton Engineering.
 
Another new opportunity this year was a Job Shadowing Day in April. Massman Automation hosted over 36 students at their facility. Students were given a presentation, a tour, and activities geared toward manufacturing and engineering. These 10th grade students were interested in careers in manufacturing. A great way to get students interested in the industry is to get them into the manufacturing businesses. Thank you Massman for hosting!  Thank you, Melany Wolf and Sam Ewald, for facilitating this event. 
 
We are looking forward to another year of getting Dream Team members into the middle schools in the TSMA area, adding more career fairs to our schedule, and promoting the YST program in manufacturing businesses and high schools.
 
The Youth Skills Training (YST) program supports partnerships between schools, employers, and community organizations to provide safe, healthy, and meaningful paid work experience to students 16 and older. These locally developed partnerships provide exposure to industry, related classroom instruction, safety training, industry-recognized credentials, and paid work experience. Current industries include: advanced manufacturing, agriculture, automotive, health care and information technology. YST programs are approved and monitored by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI). By meeting YST requirements and receiving approval from DLI, student learners are allowed to work in industries otherwise prohibited by child-labor laws. To access forms and for further information about the YST program, please visit www.dli.mn.gov/yst, contact Rich Wessels or call (651) 284-5184.

Make sure you sign your business up on the K12 Navigator. This is another way to reach our future workforce.

I lastly want to recognize all my Dream Team members and their employers who make this endeavor possible! It has truly been a wonderful experience working with group of talented people. If you know of any other TSMA business that may be interested in having their company represented on the TSMA Manufacturing Career Dream Team, please call Shari Petersen at 320-766-0081 or email her at DreamTeam@midwestmanufacturers.com.

Captions: Top: Sam Ewald of Massman Automation with 10th grade students during job shadowing day at Massman Automation. Middle: Brittany Wing of Vector Windows and Jimmy Jevnager of FORCE America at the West Cental MN College Career Fair. Bottom: Sam Ewald of Massman Automation during the job shadowing day at Massman Automation.