Upper Valley Manufacturing Week introduces students to local job opportunities

The Upper Valley Manufacturing week is Oct. 5 to Oct. 9 with workshops and educational visits planned throughout the region.

Upper Valley Manufacturing Week introduces students to local job opportunities Oct 02, 2015 Photo by: Courtesy RVTC Mechanical Design and Innovation instructor Matt Bickford (left) works with students in the lab. The American Precision Museum is coordinating visits to area manufacturers for middle and high school students as well as educators to help expose them to the many opportunities in the Connecticut River Valley. SPRINGFIELD — The Upper Valley Manufacturing week is Oct. 5 to Oct. 9 with workshops and educational visits planned throughout the region. The American Precision Museum is coordinating visits to area manufacturers for middle and high school students as well as educators to help expose them to the many opportunities here in the Connecticut River Valley. Companies participating include; Sonnax, Chamberlain Machine Inc., Vermed, North Hartland Tool, Whelen Engineering, Sturm Ruger, Hypertherm and others. What does a career in manufacturing look like today? For Brody Madden who grew up in Walpole, it’s been a challenging and rewarding couple of years. The 24-year-old just bought a house and a new truck and is investing his time and money into his future as an automation engineer. His interest in engineering stemmed from the two years he spent in the mechanical design and innovation program he was enrolled in at the River Valley Tech Center during his high school years at Fall Mountain Regional High School. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering technology at New England Institute of Technology in Rhode Island before taking his first job at Yushin America, a robotics company, as an applications engineer. “RVTC gave me a jump-start in my career. I already had a strong base for almost all of my classes due from my work at the tech center. I was basically one step ahead of all my classmates most of the way through college,” said Madden. He completed his degree with a 3.89 GPA. “Knowing what you want to do for a career as a teenager can be hard. Learning about engineering in high school gave me the confidence to invest my time and money to work in this career field,” said Madden. Currently residing in Westbrook, Connecticut, Madden is employed at The Lee Company. He said he was grateful for the opportunities that have led him to a career in engineering and he attributes his success to being able to take advantage of every opportunity that was presented to him. Madden is a 2009 graduate of the River Valley Technical Center. In addition to the hands-on educational curriculum, dependability, communication, collaboration, problem-solving and organization are taught as critical employability skills. Throughout the school year, students visit companies in the Connecticut River Valley to see firsthand the many job opportunities available in this employment sector. Students participate job shadows, internships and work co-ops with the employers in the region who are seeking a skilled workforce. The American Precision Museum is actively coordinating a week-long set of tours and publicity as part of Manufacturing Week. They have partnered with the River Valley Workforce Investment Board, the Upper Valley Business and Education Partnership, Springfield Regional Development Corporation, the River Valley and Hartford Area Career and Technical Centers and area businesses. This project is designed to introduce students, parents, teachers, and guidance counselors to the important role played by manufacturing in the Upper Valley. Activities will showcase modern technology and careers in manufacturing.