MOUNT VERNON — Around 54 high school students gathered this month to learn more about Knox County manufacturing employment pathways.
The March 15 manufacturing expo was spearheaded by Knox County’s WorkDev, a part of Area Development Foundation, at the Gallagher Center.
Students were able to hear presentations from six of the eight local manufacturers present, discussing ways to make a living working in manufacturing.
While discussing job descriptions was part of the expo, students also asked about company benefit packages, paid-time off and healthcare/investment packages.
“The students seemed really engaged,” Economic Development Coordinator Julia Greenich-Suggs said. “They had interesting questions about pay raises and benefits…often young people don’t mention benefits when they ask about a career. We understand the importance of it.”
At the end of the expo, students were asked to fill out a survey to see if they left knowing more about manufacturing; 92 percent said yes, proving the event was a success, Greenich-Suggs said.
The survey also asked students what they found was most helpful from the expo. A number of students said being informed about health benefits, 401k and time off, according to the survey results.
Manufacturers explained how the company’s 401k package worked, and why a healthcare plan is important.
“They knew in order for the kids to understand, they had to explain,” Greenich-Suggs said.
The push to have the expo was based on lack of manufacturing awareness in the area, Greenich-Suggs said. Students know what the building looks like on the outside, but not what actually goes on inside.
“We knew there wasn’t a ton of awareness about manufacturing in the area,” she said.
Some of the manufacturer’s booths had hands-on events, allowing the students to get a further understanding of the business.
“We found that students connected with the employer if there were hands-on events,” Greenich-Suggs said. “The end goal is to increase the amount of students who are interested in working in manufacturing.”
With the event being a success, WorkDev plans on hosting the expo annually.
