Students from across the region will convene Tuesday in Warren, for the first ever Student-Run Manufacturing Enterprise (SRME) Summit hosted by Northwest Industrial Resource Center (NWIRC).
The summit, with this year’s theme being “Reaching New Heights,” is a conference geared for students who are running manufacturing businesses, right out of their high schools, to share their practices and to make their programs (businesses) stronger. Students will present information about their successes and challenges over the past year, provide tips to each other, and seek advice. The day will include team building activities, networking with company sponsors, and a panel discussion.
The professional panel features people in various manufacturing roles, including Kevryn Boser-Dixon, reliability manager at American Refining Group in Bradford; Rick Young, president of Sintergy in Reynoldsville; Kyle Astor, manufacturing engineer manager at Acutec Precision Aerospace in Fredericksburg; and Shana Bailey, marketing manager at Viking Plastics in Corry. The panelists will share experiences and answer questions from the students focusing on various areas of manufacturing including leadership, sales, engineering, quality, and marketing.
Gage Wilmoth, a junior machine technology student at Bradford Area High School, is “excited to go and learn how these other student-run manufacturing businesses function in comparison to our own. It’ll be interesting to find out their successes and struggles as well.”
Wyatt Jordan, a senior engineering student at Bradford, hopes to “get the chance to meet plenty of like-minded people who share the same love for manufacturing in Pennsylvania that I do.” Bella Rhoades, a junior business student from Bradford, is “looking forward to seeing how we can improve our business and to develop a stronger relationship with surrounding businesses.” Rhoades added that she hopes “to gain new knowledge regarding the marketing side of each program,” and that she “cannot wait to see how other groups run their different departments.”
Schools sending students to the summit in addition to BHS are McDowell High School, St. Marys Area High School, Warren County Career Center, Clarion-Limestone High School, Titusville High School and Corry Area High School.
Businesses and organizations supporting the summit include American Refining Group, Haas Automation, Miller Fabrication Solutions, Gasbarre Products, Ellwood Group, Beverage Air and the Northwest Pennsylvania chapter of the National Tooling and Machining Association.
NWIRC was integral in helping these high schools plan and launch their programs, building awareness, and connecting with local manufacturers. The SRME model allows students to put what they have learned in their classes to practical use as they produce actual parts, deliver services, and contribute to the success of local manufacturing companies. Through this experience, students interact with local manufacturers and learn about their requirements for production, quality, and on-time delivery. Students get the opportunity to be mentored, gain expert insight, and develop skills they will need in the workplace. The working relationships developed will position students for future employment opportunities.
All of these regional SRME programs, and the summit, are supported in part by The Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) through the Manufacturing Training-to-Career grant program.
