The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce will host a camp in August to persuade students to pursue manufacturing careers and technical education -- what the chamber says are highly profitable and in-demand paths in the state.
The Arkansas Young Manufacturers Academy will be held at two-year colleges around the state, including National Park College in Hot Springs and Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock. This is the second year for the program in Arkansas.
Andrew Parker, director of government affairs at the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, said these career paths pull in high salaries, and they don't require a four-year degree.
He said these jobs challenge the idea students have to go to a traditional university to be successful.
"It's a message that's been preached to all of us for a very long time," he said. "In order to achieve your American dream, you have to get a four-year degree. That's not true."
LaJuana Delph, development manager for manufacturing at the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and one of the organizers of the program, said the camps also cater to parents, educating them on the value of pursuing manufacturing jobs.
"The more you expose the parents, the students and the educators, the more it will be accepted, and they will know that these are well-paying jobs," she said.
Parker said traditional college is not for everyone, with nearly 30 percent of students who start a four-year degree program not completing it within six years. The camps target young students and encourage them to attend a technical school instead of a four-year university.
Since the program began in Connecticut, enrollment in manufacturing programs at technical high schools has jumped 26 percent, according to the Manufacturing Institute, one of the organizations that developed the national program.
Manufacturing growth has accelerated for the past two months, according to a study by the Institute for Supply Management, an educational nonprofit, released earlier this month.
Parker said the state chamber has taken an interest in training students to enter the industry.
More than 600 students from grades sixth through 11th participated in the program last summer. Parker said he expects a higher turnout this year.
"For a lot of these kids, it may be the first time a lot of them have had the opportunity to go to camp," he said.
Delph said students have been recruited from churches and the Boys and Girls Club.
"There's lots of involvement from everyone in trying to ensure that we have a lot of talented students," she said.
There are 10 camps scheduled from Aug. 3-7. Students will spend the first couple of days of the camp in team-building exercises and learning about careers in manufacturing. For the rest of the week, organizers have planned trips to different plants and manufacturing hubs in the area where the camp is hosted.
At National College Park in Hot Springs, students will visit a plastics plant, a rubber plant and an innovation hub in Little Rock. At other locations, they will have visits from aerospace engineers and learn about robotics.
Parker said starting incomes can begin at $50,000 a year for highly skilled manufacturing work. Manufacturing jobs can earn more than $100,000 within five years, he said.
"It's attractive to a lot of people, and the salary potential is just mind blowing," he said. "These aren't just jobs; they are professions."
Business on 07/11/2015