The Marshall County Economic Development Corporation is dedicated to building our future workforce through youth engagement to meet the needs of local businesses and has partnered with the Argos and Culver schools to do so. On October 10th and 11th, students from these communities participated in Manufacturing Day for the first time. This event builds connections between employers and students and helps to create a future employee pipeline.
“This year, students from Argos and Culver joined the tours for the first time since the program began in 2014,” says Jerry Chavez, President of the MCEDC. “We are excited that the Marshall County Workforce Development – Student Engagement Program is blossoming across the county.” Several Marshall County schools and businesses have participated in Manufacturing Day over the last few years, and this is the largest event yet thanks to the addition of new schools and manufacturers taking part.
On Wednesday afternoon, 64 freshmen from Argos Jr./Sr. High School toured Mobile Tech Trailers and ITAMCO in Argos. The following day, approximately 70 students from Culver Community Middle/High School toured ITAMCO, Pretzels Inc., and Mobile Tech Trailers to see a wide variety of manufacturers in Marshall County.
According to Culver Community Middle/High School Principal Brett Berndt, “We know that not every student at Culver will be heading to post-secondary educational institutions, so we want to provide the opportunity for students to connect with our local employers to enhance the possibility of employment after high school. The more information our students have to gain knowledge about our local employers, the better off they will be when making a career decision. We can’t thank our local employers enough for this opportunity.”
“Manufacturing Day is a great way for our students to meet business owners who do a great job of sharing their vision, product, and profits.” Adds Culver Community Schools Corporation Superintendent Karen Shuman. “Students not only learn about the businesses, but most importantly, they hear firsthand the values that employers are looking for in their companies.”
