Last week I attended the “Work Ready Think Tank” event hosted by the College & Career office of Mt. Hope High school. Polaris MEP works with several Rhode Island high school CTE (Career & Technical Education) programs to introduce students to the possibilities of fulfilling manufacturing careers.

Students from Mt. Hope and nearby Highlander Charter School were ready and eager to engage with business professionals across the state in an effort to sharpen their skills and focus their vision on next steps upon graduation. Several were already deep into semester- or year-long projects with local manufacturers. Boat Building, Additive Manufacturing, as well as Production & Assembly to name a few.

These Industry Projects are a great way to create a soup-to-nuts primer into the world of manufacturing. Students get to create, learn, problem solve and innovate all in the service of completing a project presented by a local manufacturer.

Industry Projects are exactly the kind of experience that the sector needs to catalyze in order to showcase to tomorrow’s workers the beauty of using their hands and minds in tandem in a rewarding career in manufacturing.

Is your manufacturing company connecting with high schoolers in a way that gets them “Work Ready?” Let me know your thoughts! aclemons@polarismep.org

WaterRower’s Peter King was among manufacturing employers at the Mt Hope High School Work Ready event in March of 2022. Students shared the “Industry Projects” which are giving them a better understanding of rewarding manufacturing careers.