Peterborough, NH: A special Open House was held on June 2nd at the Peterborough Community Center to honor six area high school students who completed the elective course Manufacturing Principles and Processes.
The course was developed through a partnership between NHBB's HiTech Division and Conval High School in Peterborough, NH. It was open to high school juniors and seniors who are interested in exploring career opportunities in manufacturing. Students attended classes three days each week at the High School and two days at NHBB.
In her opening remarks, instructor Beth Wallace shared her vision for the course and thanked NHBB for its enthusiastic support. "This class was developed in order to give students the opportunity to spend time inside a manufacturing environment and learn first-hand about the concepts of manufacturing," said Beth. "Over 24 employees from NHBB were involved in teaching classes, giving tours, developing course outlines and material, and handling logistics. We couldn't have done this without NHBB's cooperation and enthusiastic support."
David Smith, the Operations Manager for NHBB HiTech, who attended the Open House in order to present the students with their certificates of completion, expressed his support for the partnership between the ConVal school system and NHBB. "I know that our team really enjoyed the experience and that says a lot about our employees," said David. "We view our participation in business and education partnerships as an investment in our community. Furthermore, such initiatives help us achieve one of our most important objectives and that is to become the employer of choice in the region."
After receiving their certificates, the students participated in a project exhibition during which they gave informal talks about their special projects. Aided by PowerPoint presentations, image boards, and functional mock-ups, the students presented on a wide range of subjects, including safety in the workplace, serial numbering and product identification, the assembly of jigs and fixtures, continuous improvement, and process mapping.
Student Eathan Whitaker presented his work on implementing Continuous Improvement in everyday life. He spoke highly of the class and how it opened his eyes to manufacturing. "The class definitely introduced me to opportunities out there I didn't know existed," said Eathan. "I enjoyed the course very much and I definitely would recommend it to other students."
ConVal High School Principal Brian Pickering, who visited each student as they gave their talks, seemed very encouraged by the whole experience and impressed with the results. He remarked that the school is definitely interest in growing the program. "As teachers and administrators, we're asking ourselves how we can build upon this program and create other opportunities," said Paul. "At the same time, we are exploring ways to cast a wider net and get more students interested in this and other programs like it."
Contact NHBB for more information.
