Students learn about manufacturing opportunities at New Kensington’s Digital Foundry. | So Good News

Alexis Beard is interested in engineering. A senior at Franklin Regional High School, she wants to create and design something that can help people.

“My passion is bridges,” she said.

Burrell High School senior Noah Kleckner wants to study mechanical engineering unless someone changes his mind.

“I like to do things with my hands,” he said.

Beard and Kleckner were among about 50 students from several schools attending a manufacturing event for high school students Friday at Penn State’s Digital Foundry in New Kensington.

Students at AW Beattie Career Center and Northern Westmoreland Career & Technology Center and Burrell; Franklin region; It comes from the Freeport Area and New Kensington-Arnold school districts.

A rally was held on Wednesday for businesses. About 115 people from three to four dozen companies attended the event, Digital Foundry’s operations and programming manager Stephen Leonard said at the June 1 opening.

Since its opening, the facility on Fifth Avenue in downtown New Kensington has been a science, technology We host several camps in engineering and math, or STEM. workforce training programs; and technical demonstrations;

This week, the events coincide with October’s National Day of Production Month. Technical demonstrations at a gathering for local and regional manufacturers on Wednesday. submissions; difference Speaker on Equity and Participation in Manufacturing. and Labor Training Group.

On Friday, students from high schools and vocational-technical schools learned about smart manufacturing and career opportunities from industry representatives.

Freeport Area High School technology teacher Mark Dempster brought six students from his manufacturing class.

“I wanted to explore what the Digital Foundry would offer for our students as far as manufacturing opportunities or educational opportunities,” he said.

Dempster said she hopes her students will discover career and educational paths they didn’t know existed before and understand the relevance of what they’re learning in school.

“Sometimes they think I just made it up. They don’t always believe me,” Dempster said.

Entrepreneurs from JV Manufacturing attended. Amber Wharrey, human resources and safety administrator, said the tool and die industry has opportunities for students before and after graduation, including internships and summer help.

“We’re always looking to hire from any background,” Wharrey said. “Anything is possible. There is always room to grow. Manufacturing is always changing because it goes hand in hand with technology.”

Obai Kouli, Bayer’s senior process leader, says Bayer’s What? Talking to students about how it works and opportunities.

“It’s great to get young minds out there and get a glimpse of what the future looks like,” he said.

Steve Garia, an apprentice trainer at Oberg Industries, said they want to inspire young people to enter the manufacturing industry. Oberg will be employed next year.

Garia says that the future of manufacturing is very promising from the questions students ask him.

“They’re really engaged. They really are,” he said. “Many know what they want to do.”

This summer, Kleckner said she learned about manufacturing and industrial engineering through an internship with MetPlas Inc. and didn’t know Digital Foundation was in New Kensington until Friday.

“It’s a ridiculous impression,” he said.

For Beard, who is interning at Massaro Construction Group; All the places she could go helped.

“It’s looking into my future,” she said.