MANUFACTURING FIELD DAY 2018
Sherman ISD seventh and eighth graders got an up close look at industry in Sherman and learned about the skills needed to pursue a career in manufacturing during their second Advanced Manufacturing Field Day .
“ Our students got to see how technology is used in the real workplace , and specifically , right here in Sherman ,” Piner Middle School Career and Technical Education Lead Renee Cole said .
Companies Eaton , Emerson , Presco , and Progress Rail in Sherman hosted more than 250 students for tours of their facilities , the second of the year for Piner , who joined hundreds of other students for the Manufacturing Day field trip in October . The Manufacturing Consortium was developed in 2015 to train and attract skilled workers to the industry .
“ The most memorable part of the trip was when I saw the robot screwing nails into the rails ,” eighth-grader Lily Bally wrote in her academic reflections after visiting Progress Rail . “ I was really interested in how that works and where it came from . It was cool watching how it turns and does the same thing every time , like it had a mind of its own .”
The initiative expanded to include helping local school districts and community colleges provide viable educational opportunities for students , including curriculum development , tuition funding , and equipment purchase . It involves more than 16 school districts and 35 regional business and industry partners that provide funding , career track programs , tested curriculum , and education for students , staff , and parents in Sherman ISD . Sherman ISD teachers also take part in the Teacher Externship , which provides additional tours and additional professional development for those teachers .
The consortium partnership includes the Sherman
Economic Development Corporation , Sherman ISD , Denison ISD , Denison Development Alliance , Grayson College , and Workforce Solutions Texoma and is an effort to address shrinking workforce concerns in manufacturing careers .
“ The Sherman Economic Development Corporation does an excellent job of matching us with the area plants who welcome our students , share information on their field , answer our students questions and more ,” Cole said . “ I personally heard multiple conversations between students about how s / he are now interested in the locations and fields .”
Manufacturing Day for the middle school is a tool used to help students determine their interests and pathways prior to reaching the high school . Sherman HS offers more than 130 CTE courses , many of which are focused on manufacturing and industry .
“ This is such a great experience for our students . We are able to introduce them to a career field they may not have known about before they even enter high school ,” Sherman ISD Coordinator of Postsecondary Readiness and Career and Technical Education Katie Morris said . “ This helps them identify areas of interest before they choose their courses and endorsements at the high school level .”
As part of the 2017 Bond program , Sherman ISD will build a new Sherman High School that will feature new , state of the art CTE facilities focused on supporting employment needs in the region . It will also allow the district to expand the CTE program to offer courses and pathways in each CTE endorsement available .
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