Helping to Mold Careers
Through its education committee, the Chicago Chapter of the AMBA stepped up last week to introduce parents, teachers and students to the rewarding career of mold manufacturing with a booth at the Smartforce Student Summit during IMTS. This event welcomed more than 14,000 students.
The Smartforce Student Summit at IMTS introduces educators, students and parents to exciting new opportunities and technologies in manufacturing. It is designed to encourage young people to interact with today’s manufacturing industry in a face to face environment with technology suppliers, higher education/training and various industry organizations. This offers them a real-world look at where a STEM education can take them.
AMBA Chicago Chapter Coordinator Karen Norville said the first day of the Summit was terrific, and they were thrilled to have been a part of showing students how to mold a career. Apprentices from Janler and Chicago Mold Engineering worked the booth, alongside Janler's Chuck Klingler and B A Die Mold's Francine Petrucci. An injection mold was on display, along with a video of the mold in action to attract attention, and it worked. About 300 students and teachers visited just on the first day!
AMBA thanks all the apprentices who worked the booth including those from A-1 Tool, P.M. Mold, Helm Tool, Berry Plastics, Craftsman Tool, Graphic Tool and Hommer Tool. They also acknowledge the efforts of Chicago member and partner companies, including A-1Tool Corp., B.A. Die Mold, Berry Plastics Mold Manufacturing, Chicago Mold Engineering Co., Craftsman Tool, Graphic Tool, Helm Tool Company, Hommer Tool & Mfg. Inc., Janler Corporation, P.M. Mold, Progressive Components and Synventive Molding Solutions.
Although this was an AMBA Chicago Chapter effort, they received great support financially from National AMBA.
In addition to the tabletop exhibits, Smartforce Student Summit programming included presentations by Project Lead The Way, the nation's leading provider of K-12 STEM programs that reaches more than 600,000 students in over 6,000 schools nationwide; NMSI that prepares students for success by building strong STEM foundations; and, Sally Ride Science®, which provides tools for college and career readiness that can build students' passion for STEM fields and careers.
