NBT Announces 2015 Manufacturing Camp Grant Winners

By admin | January 29, 2015

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25 Grants Awarded to Community and Technical Colleges Offering Day Camp
Experiences for Youth

Rockford, Ill., February 2, 2015 – Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs® (NBT), The Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl.® (FMA), announces the winners of its 2015 Summer Manufacturing Camp grants.

Twenty-five grants, ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 were awarded by NBT to community and technical colleges offering day camp experiences that introduce young people ages 12 to 16 to careers in manufacturing and engineering. Major sponsors of these camps are the CNA Foundation of Chicago, Kelly Services, and Disney/ABC Television.

The 2015 grant winners (listed alphabetically by state) are:

  • Northeast Alabama Community College, Rainsville Ala. – two grants, beginners camp and advanced robotics camp
  • Arkansas State University-Newport, Jonesboro, AR
  • Fresno City College, Fresno, Calif.
  • College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, Calif.
  • FLATE – Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, Fla.
  • North Georgia Technical College, Clarksville, Ga. (main campus)
  • North Georgia Technical College, Toccoa, Ga. (Curahee campus)
  • Harper College, Palatine, Ill.
  • Triton College, River Grove, Ill.
  • Henry Ford College, Dearborn, Mich.
  • The Academy for Manufacturing Careers, Jackson, Mich.
  • Minnesota State College – Southeast Technical, Red Wing, Minn.
  • Itawamba Community College, Tupelo, Miss.
  • Charles Community College, St. Peters, Mo.
  • White Mountains Community College, Berlin, N.H.
  • Manchester Community College, Manchester, N.H. – two grants, beginners camp and advanced camp
  • Zane State College, Zanesville, Ohio
  • Kiamichi Technology Center, McAlester, Okla.
  • Gordon Cooper Technology Center, Shawnee, Okla.
  • Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College, Ogden, Utah
  • Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton, Va.
  • Marshall University Research Corporation on behalf of the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing, Huntington, W.V.
  • Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Green Bay, Wis.

An additional five camps will be conducted as Affiliate Camps – these schools do not receive NBT funding, but do receive marketing and classroom materials and shirts for all campers. These are long-running camps which have become self-sustaining with local support.

  • Anoka Technical College, Anoka, Minn. – 3 camps
  • Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, Wis.
  • Moraine Park Technical College, West Bend, Wis.

“The demand for highly-skilled manufacturing professionals is growing each year as more and more Baby Boomers retire — and we don’t see that demand subsiding for decades,” said Rory DeJohn, NBT board chair and senior vice-president, Turner Construction. “We are focused on creating a talent pool of young people who set their sights on the many career opportunities offered in the manufacturing sector and it all starts with providing them with an introduction to the manufacturing process. Inspiring young people to consider these careers will have a positive impact on graduation rates, and will create a more qualified workforce in the participating communities.”

“The manufacturing skilled labor shortage won’t solve itself,” said Edward Youdell, president and CEO of FMA and NBT. “These camps provide youth with exposure to vocational and technical trades that no longer is available in most public education systems. For most of the young people who attend these camps it is their first introduction to how things are made and what skills are required for entry into the world of manufacturing. They also discover that the training they will need to get started is readily available in their local community at the very college where they are attending camp.”

The camps target middle- and high school-aged youth, introducing them to practical applications of math, science and engineering principles and giving them opportunities to tour local manufacturing companies, work directly with technology, and design and manufacture a product they can take home. Supporting these camps with CAD/CAM student edition design software donations is Solidworks Corporation.

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs, the Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl., also issues scholarships to students attending community colleges, technical colleges and trade schools to pursue training leading to careers in manufacturing. More information on NBT is available by visiting nutsandboltsfoundation.org.

About CNA

CNA is the 7th largest commercial insurer providing insurance protection to more than one million businesses and professionals around the world. The CNA Foundation concentrates its support in programs designed to meet the educational needs of children; assist and support children, youth and adults in developing vocational skills, and support economically disadvantaged children and families. Learn more at www.cna.com.

About SolidWorks Corporation

SolidWorks Corporation, a Dassault Systèmes S.A. company, develops and markets software for design, analysis, and product data management. It is the leading supplier of 3D CAD technology, giving teams intuitive, high-performing software that helps them design better products. Learn more at www.solidworks.com.

About FMA

Based in Rockford, Ill., FMA is a professional organization with nearly 2,500 members working together to improve the metal processing, forming, and fabricating industry. Founded in 1970, FMA brings metal fabricators and fabricating equipment manufacturers together through technology councils, educational programs, networking events, and the FABTECH® tradeshow. FMA also has two technology affiliates, the Tube & Pipe Association, Intl. (TPA), which focuses on the unique needs of companies engaged in tube and pipe producing and fabricating; and the Sustainable Manufacturer Network, a professional organization of individual members dedicated to working toward environmentally-friendly manufacturing. Learn more at www.fmanet.org

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