KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
Sixteen high school students are nearing the end of their second annual, week-long manufacturing summer camp hosted by College of the Canyons and Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs, camp officials said Thursday.
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The cost to attend the camp was around 59 dollars, but most of the funding comes from grants, according to Ed Youdell, president and CEO of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association.
Nuts, Bolts and Thingamajigs, or NBT, supplies funds for the first three years, with each donation allowing the host community college more responsibility to provide funds, until it is completely funded by them inthe fourth year.
“A key piece of this is finding the right community college,” said Youdell. “We want there to be a cost because we want the kids to realize there’s value in being here and you’ve got to put something in, in order to get something out.”
During the week, the tudents have learned lessons and went on field trips to Raw Industries and Classic Wire Cut, according to Baber.
The students are currently in the process of building collapsible shovels which they plan to finish Thursday, according to Baber.
“It’s really fun,” said John Boyer, a student participating in the camp. “I’ve had experience at COC before doing the camps and have done welding and this one was really good.”
On Friday, the students will learn to use a Virtual Welder which simulates real welding.
“I would hope that they would take away a vision of another industry,” said David Brown, current vice-chair of the NBT board. “It may turn out to be nothing, but we hope it will resonate with them and perhaps they will consier it for a career path.”
There are an estimated 600,000 unfilled jobs in manufacturing because there’s no one there to do the work, according to Youdell.
NBT is trying to reach kids sooner in their lives to hopefully get them interested in going into careers in manufacturing or working with their hands.
NBT, the Foundation of Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl. are organizations geared toward inspiring the next generation of manufacturers, inventors and entrepreneurs by engaging young people in career preparation for well-paid, fulfilling jobs that require hands on skills, according to a news release.
For those interested in pursuing a career in manufacturing, College of the Canyons offers affordable manufacturing classes, according to Baber.
Left to Right: Tim Baber, David Brown and Ed Youdell
I need to add that the kids who are participating in the camp are a good group of kids. I enjoyed the opportunity to be with them for a few hours. They all conducted themselves the way parents hope their children do when their not around.