October 29, 2014
Bloomington, IN– It is a well known fact that the manufacturing industry is in need of young, trained technicians and engineers. TASUS recognizes the need to begin reaching out to high school aged students to share the career opportunities and spark interest in the manufacturing industry. Recently TASUS representatives attended a career fair for local high school students.
The career fair was held at the Hoosier Hills Career Center, a technical school extension of Bloomington High School North. The classes offered in the Hoosier Hills Career Center are for students interested in technical career fields, from engineering to mechanical careers. All though the students are interested in technical fields, many do not know of the career opportunities available in the manufacturing sector. Due to outsourcing and other negative connotations generally associated with manufacturing students tend to go in other career directions.
This is why it is of the utmost importance for TASUS, and other manufacturing firms, to have a presence at career fairs of this type. TASUS was represented by three full-time employees and an intern from Vincennes University. Led by Director of Technical Development Robbie Elliott the TASUS team shared with students the career opportunities in the manufacturing industry. Many students found the types of products produced interesting, but what all showed the most interest in was the robotics behind it all. Trained engineers will do much more than work on the manufacturing floor. They will build and work on various robots that assist in producing high quality products. This was something that not all students knew. The presence of TASUS at this fair helped to rid some of the negative assumptions these students had towards manufacturing and expand their knowledge of the work in the industry. Additionally, TASUS was able to encourage students to consider the manufacturing field by sharing the opportunities and benefits available for those that enter it. Many young students do not realize the abundance of available jobs in this field. On average, there are around five jobs available for each student studying to work in the manufacturing field. Companies are willing to offer extra benefits for students entering this field because of the need for young professionals to fill positions.
This is one of the only career fields with so many job opportunities that companies compete for students, rather than the other way around. TASUS intern Michael Frederick will not have to pay for tuition for the rest of his education. TASUS has offered to pay for Frederick’s tuition as an investment in his future with the company. When Frederick told students and their parents about his story with TASUS their eyes would light up. Students saw a path to a promising career and parents saw a path to a free college education.
It is our hope at TASUS that by sharing insight into the industry’s potential careers it will spark interest in some students. We understand not all will want to work for our company, but if they still enter the manufacturing sector the industry will be better as a whole. With the average age of welders and other technical positions being over 50 years old the industry is in need of a new generation of trained employees, before the current ones all retire. TASUS will continue to reach out to young students any way we can in hope of drawing more young professionals into the industry. For more information on MCCSC and Hoosier Hills please follow the link below.
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