Content Source (Education to Manufacturing): Advanced Manufacturing North Region, California Community College Chancellor’s Office, hosted at Sierra College: View Original Post
Rocklin, CA— As part of the ongoing effort to connect students to employers so they can see the opportunities in the field of Advanced Manufacturing, Harris & Bruno International employees visited Roseville High School on November 15, according to Courtney Camp, Human Resources Manager, Harris & Bruno International.
“It’s very rewarding to see that we as an employer are making an impact with students and giving them insight into our industry that they might not otherwise have,” said Camp. “Working in manufacturing isn’t necessarily something today’s students are going to consider as a viable career path, but when you show them what we do and how interesting the work is, we can help change that. Building tomorrow’s pipeline is so important to our industry and these are excellent opportunities to help spark passion for what we do.”
The company focused on making students aware of the wide range of career opportunities in manufacturing and the different avenues that can be taken to get there, explained Courtney Camp, Human Resources Manager, Harris & Bruno International. “For example, David Sarver explained specifically what he does as a Mechanical Engineer at Harris & Bruno and the path he took to get to his current position,” said Camp. “We also emphasized that while a four-year college is an excellent path for some students, it’s not the only option that results in rewarding and lucrative careers. Other options are community colleges, trade schools, apprenticeship programs and on-the-job training.”
Employees also showed real world projects made at the company’s Roseville facility, according to Camp. “Seeing how a part is designed and then manufactured seemed to spark students’ interests and prompted the most in depth questions,” said Camp. “The other thing that they were really curious about is what we, as employers, look for when hiring and how they can start setting themselves up now for career success later.”
Harris & Bruno International has partnered with educators in many ways throughout the years and has benefited from those collaborations, reports Camp. “My advice to employers would be to be open to jumping in and supporting the community programs at both the high school and college levels,” said Camp. “Some ways to do this are participating on an advisory board to help guide the curriculum, speak at schools to help educate students on opportunities within the industry, and provide tours of your facility to students so they can see first-hand the awesome things that are happening. We have hired some of our best workers through these avenues; I’ve had new employees tell me that they toured our facility in high school and how interested it made them to pursue a career in manufacturing.”
Camp suggests that both Jeff Briggs, Regional Director North Region, Advanced Manufacturing, California Community Colleges (Edu2Mfg) and the Sacramento Valley Manufacturing Initiative (SVMI ) are excellent resources for educators. “My advice is to partner with the industry to help tailor your curriculum to employer needs,” said Camp. “Relevant skills will really help your students as they start searching for employment opportunities. Also, make sure that you are following up, staying in communication and being clear about the best ways for employers to help support your programs.”
For assistance connecting with schools and employers in your area, contact Jeff Briggs, Edu2Mfg, at 916-316-8100 or JeffBriggs(at)sierracollege.edu.