Local companies tout their products, services to engineering students
Story and photos by Lori King
TOLEDO – Students of Toledo Technology Academy of Engineering got a sneak peek into their possible futures during its annual Manufacturing Day on Friday.
The school’s library turned into a trade show for a few hours as 15 local companies set up booths to showcase their tools of the trade and recruit young talent.
Manufacturing Day, sponsored by the Northwest Ohio Manufacturing Alliance and the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce (TRCC), gave students hands-on experience with engineering innovations, provided them with an opportunity to learn about open positions and internships, and put them through mock interviews.
“I’m here today to teach the kids about safety in a manufacturing plant,” said Jamie Radel as she observed students interacting on a display board that tested various ways fire extinguishers are used to put out fires.
Radel, human resources manager for Maumee Assembly & Stamping, said it was the third year her company attended Manufacturing Day. This year they chose to highlight a new position of safety manager, who oversees safety issues like PPE (personal protective equipment) and fire safety.
After playing with the fire extinguisher board, Alex Willoughby, wearing a CLIFFS yellow hard hat, took a moment to share what he was learning.
“I was just learning about how these people make diapers for adults, and something interesting about that is they use colors for specific issues,” he said. “I also learned about creating electrical car parts, like gears. I think it’d be really cool to work on electrical cars. This is a really cool experience here.”
Toledo Public Schools superintendent Dr. Romules Durant mingled with students before joining representatives from the TRCC and GM’s Toledo Propulsion Systems (Powertrain) for remarks about the importance of Manufacturing Day, which was designed to get students interested in manufacturing and engineering-related careers.
