JAMESTOWN, NY – August 11, 2023 – Dream It Do It, an initiative of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier ran a manufacturing camp with students from throughout the area this past week that was hosted at the Jamestown Community College, Manufacturing Technology Institute. Mayor Sundquist stopped in for a visit with the students and to see and learn about the projects and activities throughout the week. “Manufacturing remains and will continue to be a core component of our economy and it is important that we work with these kids that will be our future workforce and help them understand the career opportunities that are available now and into the future,” stated Sundquist.
The camp is a component of ongoing efforts of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST) through the Dream It Do It (DIDI) initiative to bring more awareness to manufacturing careers opportunities and build a long-term talent pipeline to support the manufacturing sector. “The Manufacturing Camp enables students grade 8-12 to explore careers in the world of advanced manufacturing through hands on activities where they learn about the manufacturing process and build projects,” stated Todd Tranum, Executive Director of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier and President of Dream It Do It Western New York
“The Dream It Do It initiative and the work of the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier dovetail very well with our participation in the Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy, where one of our core objectives is to build a stronger talent pipeline in the Jamestown,” stated Sundquist.
The Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier and the Dream It Do It initiative are part of a multi-stakeholder approach being led by the Mayor to address the workforce needs of the area. “We are excited to be part of the Good Jobs, Great Cities initiative,” stated Tranum. “We applaud the Mayor for leading this initiative and it is evident that he firmly understands the strength and effectiveness of bringing a variety of stakeholders together to work toward a common goal.”
Since its inception the Dream It Do It Western New York initiative has facilitated over 75,000 interactions with students, counselors and teachers. “If we are going to help young people understand manufacturing and the great career opportunities available in the sector it is imperative that we get them into the manufacturing workplace to see, feel and hear the process while also facilitating project work that includes the many aspects of manufacturing,” stated Tranum. “Presentations, learning from text- books, discussions and videos are not enough. If we are going to communicate what we do in manufacturing we must continue to get kids, school administrators, counselors and teachers into our manufacturing facilities and implement hands-on learning programming. There is plenty of research that reinforces that hands-on activities are effective and engaging. Our program is about engaging with our future workforce with these hands-on, project-based experiences, that generate excitement and hopefully inspire consideration of a career in manufacturing.”
If you have any questions regarding the Dream It Do It program, please contact Melissa Himes at mhimes@didiwny.com or visit www.didiwny.com.
