Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs announces 2016 Manufacturing Camp grant winners

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs® (NBT), the foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Intl.® (FMA), Rockford, Ill., has announced the winners of its 2016 Summer Manufacturing Camp grants.

Thirty-three grants totaling $66,000, from $1,000 to $2,500 each, were awarded by NBT to community and technical colleges offering day camp experiences that introduce young people ages 12 to 16 to careers in manufacturing and engineering. Major sponsors of these camps are the CNA Foundation of Chicago, Kelly Services, and Disney/ABC Television.

The 2016 camp grant winners are:

• Arkansas State University, Newport - Jonesboro, Ark.
• Bergen Community College - Paramus, N.J.
• Burton Center for Arts and Technology - Salem, Va.
• Chippewa Valley Technical College*- Eau Claire, Wis.
• College of the Canyons* - Santa Clarita, Calif.
• Fairfield Central High School/Midlands Technical College - Winnsboro, S.C.
• Fox Valley Technical College*- Appleton, Wis.
• Gordon Cooper Technology Center - Shawnee, Okla.
• Henry Ford College - Dearborn, Mich.
• Hillsborough Community College (FLATE) - Tampa, Fla.
• Itawamba Community College - Belden, Miss.
• Ivy Tech Community College - Gary, Ind.
• Lake Park High School - Roselle, Ill.
• Linn Benton Community College - Albany, Ore.
• Manchester Community College* (two grants awarded) - Manchester, N.H.
• Marshall University Research Corp. on behalf of the Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing - Huntington, W.Va.
• Northeast Alabama Community College* (three grants awarded) - Rainsville, Ala.
• Northeast Mississippi Community College - Booneville, Miss.
• Ranken Technical College* (two grants awarded) - St Louis
• Rend Lake College - Ina, Ill.
• St. Charles Community College - Cottleville, Mo.
• St. James Parish Schools Career & Technology Center - Lutcher, La.
• St. Petersburg College (two grants awarded) – St. Petersburg, Fla.
• Thomas Nelson Community College* - Hampton, Va.
• Triton College* - River Grove, Ill.
• Weber State University - Ogden, Utah
• White Mountains Community College - Berlin, N.H.
• Zane State College - Zanesville, Ohio

An additional eight camps were approved as affiliate camps. These schools do not receive NBT funding but do receive marketing and classroom materials and T-shirts for all campers. These are long-running camps which have become self-sustaining with local support:

• Anoka Technical College* - Anoka, Minn.
• Fox Valley Technical College* - Appleton, Wis.
• Harper College* (two camps) - Palatine, Ill.
• Itawamba Community College - Belden, Miss.
• Moraine Park Technical College* - West Bend, Wis.
• Thomas Nelson Community College* (two camps) - Hampton, Va.

*FMA Certified Education Center member

The camps target youth in middle and high school, introducing them to practical applications of math, science, and engineering principles and giving them opportunities to tour local manufacturing companies, work directly with technology, and design and manufacture a product they can take home. Solidworks® Corp. is supporting these camps with CAD/CAM student edition design software donations.

“The demand for highly skilled manufacturing professionals is growing each year as more and more baby boomers retire, and we don’t see that demand subsiding for decades,” said Rory DeJohn, NBT immediate past chair and senior vice president, Turner Construction. “We are focused on creating a talent pool of young people who set their sights on the many career opportunities offered in the manufacturing sector, and it all starts with providing them with an introduction to the manufacturing process. Inspiring young people to consider these careers will have a positive impact on graduation rates and will create a more qualified workforce in the participating communities.”

Edward Youdell, president/CEO of FMA and NBT, added, “The manufacturing skilled-labor shortage won’t solve itself. These camps provide youth with exposure to vocational and technical trades that no longer is available in most public education systems. For most of the young people who attend these camps, it is their first introduction to how things are made and what skills are required for entry into the world of manufacturing. They also discover that the training they will need to get started is readily available in their local community at the very college where they are attending camp.”

NBT also issues scholarships to students attending community colleges, technical colleges, and trade schools to pursue training leading to careers in manufacturing. More information on NBT is available at www.nutsandboltsfoundation.org.