Hope Smith wants young people in her native Jamestown, N.Y., and nearby communities to have the opportunity to follow in her footsteps. When she joined the WNY P-TECH STEM College & Career Academy at Jamestown High School in the ninth grade and later advanced to SUNY Jamestown Community College, she saw a plethora of rewarding career opportunities in the field.
Smith started as an engineering technician at Bush Industries four months ago and will be promoted to full-time when she graduates from JCC in May. She has taken it upon herself to be a manufacturing spokesperson and role model in her community and beyond.
“Our community needs to know about these things and the opportunities they have in this field,” Smith said during the Student Voices in Building Our Manufacturing Workforce panel discussion held via Zoom on Friday.
“I feel it would be beneficial to get children to experience this at a young age,” added Smith, who is planning to work with area Girls Scouts on STEM projects, as well as other outreach programs with Dream It Do It Western New York.
Smith was one of six area manufacturing students who spoke about their educational experiences during the panel discussion hosted by JCC, Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST), and Dream It Do It. Representatives from those organizations, as well as those from P-TECH, CA-BOCES, and local manufacturing companies also shared comments.
About Smith, P-TECH principal Bill Smock said: “She is a self-grown leader. She is such a bright spot from our program and JCC. She will continue to be a leader in our community.”
The future of manufacturing in the region is dependent on the interest of young people like Smith and Carlos Rosario, a welding student at JCC’s Manufacturing Technology Institute who was also part of Friday’s panel.
“This has been an amazing experience here at JCC,” Rosario said. “It all started in high school when every teacher asks you what you want to be. Everybody always says a doctor or a lawyer. For some reason, I was interested in the trades. Welding has been the best experience in my life. To be at JCC and have the Workforce Readiness scholarship made my time at JCC a lot easier.”
From JCC, to P-TECH, BOCES, and Dream It Do It, educational programs exist in all corners of Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties for young people to get started in manufacturing.
Todd Tranum, the executive director of MAST, shared that these programs are not at full capacity and more students must get involved to meet the needs of regional manufacturers.
“As manufacturers, we’re facing a significant challenge,” Tranum said. “We need people to join our teams. Our work does not get done without people. The process of making things does not get done without people. Building our economy starts with building our workforce.”
In addition to Smith and Rosario, the next generation of manufacturers in the region include DJ Ruszkowski, Jeramiah Havens, DeAonte Hutchinson, and Jordan VanGorder. Each shared their stories and aspirations for the future on Friday.
“I like meeting new people and learning new things and learning about new careers,” said Ruszkowski, who interned with Dream It Do It in Olean, N.Y. over the summer.
As part of the experience, Ruszkowski worked on 3D printing, machining, and product design. He would like to pursue a career in aerospace engineering, welding, or automotive technology.
Havens is a Wellsville High School student and part of the career and technical education program at CA BOCES in Belmont, N.Y. Panelist Jim Schifley, who is the assistant superintendent for career and technical education, said Havens is one of 100 students taking welding courses at BOCES sites in Belmont, Olean, and Ellicottville, N.Y.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity for a free education at BOCES and to learn about a trade I’m interested in, which is welding,” Havens said. “Metalwork and machining is something I’m very interested in. Hopefully I can make a career out of it.”
Hutchinson is a JCC student from Baltimore who is studying engineering with a focus on machine tools.
“There are two classes that I really enjoy,” he said Friday. “They work hand in hand with each other. One is AutoCAD, which teaches us how to study blueprints and how to understand them. The other class is machine theory, where we use the blueprints to cut metals with the end mill machine.”
Jeff Teluk, who is the director of Engineering Science and Technology at JCC, said “the skill sets for all of the programs that we have are extremely in demand right now. We have a multitude of companies looking for positions.”
VanGorder recently started in the 13-week CNC Operator program through JCC’s Workforce Development. The college also offers a similar Maintenance Technician program geared to the underemployed, unemployed, and those seeking a new career.
VanGorder, who is from Smethport, Pa., was connected to JCC through Pennsylvania’s PA CareerLink.
“I chose the field because of where I currently work,” he said. “There are CNC machinists there, and I found an interest in it. I thought I’d like to try it out. This program came about and I decided to jump on it. I’d like to take additional classes and have a job in the field.”
During the discussion, JCC also introduced its Erick Laine Career Exploration Opportunity (CEO). The program gives students an opportunity to get 135 hours of hands-on job experience while being paid through an endowment left by the family of Laine, the former Alcas (now CUTCO Corporation) CEO who died in December.
Students also learn classroom skills, such as building a LinkedIn profile, resume writing, and interviewing for jobs.
Samantha Testani, a career services project manager at JCC who is overseeing the program, said one student has started at CUTCO.
“He’s hoping it leads to a job at completion,” she said. “He’s never worked in manufacturing, and it’s a great opportunity to see if it is a good career choice for him.”
Brian George from CUTCO, Melissa Himes of Ring Precision, and Rhonda Johnson of Weber Knapp also shared remarks. All stressed their needs for skilled manufacturing employees.
“As technology and manufacturing advances, we will need to continue to look at those folks who are interested in the skilled trades,” George said. “Electricians, mechanics, tool and die people, those are things that we will need in the future. Those are not dying trades.”
George and Johnson both started as shop floor workers before advancing at their organizations. George is CUTCO’s employee development manager, while Johnson is now president of Weber Knapp.
“You want to be the best employee so that a company will hire you,” Johnson said. “You also want to look for a fantastic company who promotes from within and values what you bring to the table. The only limit is the limit you put on yourself.