SABETHA (KSNT) – High school students from 10 school districts visited Sabetha Wednesday to explore career opportunities in manufacturing during the fifth annual Sabetha Manufacturing Day.
The event gives students a chance to tour manufacturing facilities, learn about different jobs and see how the industry works firsthand. Marlene Bosworth, a Sabetha Chamber of Commerce board member and co-owner of NorthWind Technical Services, said the event allows students to experience careers rather than just hear about them.
“It’s an experience,” Bosworth said. “It’s not just talking to representatives about careers, it’s actually experiencing what a career would look like.”
The event began when staff with NorthWind Technical Services invited area schools to tour their facility. The idea later expanded to include other manufacturers in the community.
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Bosworth said students may be surprised by what modern manufacturing facilities look like and the technology they use.
“Modern manufacturing is so much different than what it used to be,” Bosworth said.
Bosworth described today’s facilities as clean, air-conditioned workplaces that use automation.
The industry also offers a variety of career paths. Bosworth said students can enter the workforce directly, attend a trade or vocational school, pursue a two-year program or earn a college degree.
Cindy Alderfer, president of the Sabetha Chamber of Commerce, said manufacturing businesses need employees in many areas beyond production.
“Manufacturing envelops so much stuff, engineering,” Alderfer said. “Like I said, H.R., you know, where it takes a whole team of people to take care of 200 or 400 employees. Accounting… that’s huge.”
Kansas Representative Sean Willcott said manufacturing offers opportunities for people with different interests and educational backgrounds, including skilled trades and careers in engineering and design. He said businesses across Kansas are working to find enough qualified employees.
“One of the largest challenges that I hear from businesses is having the skilled labor to be able to come in and supply their companies with the workforce. And that’s not unique to Sabesp. That’s across the whole state,” Willcott said.
For students, the event can help them think about what they want to do after graduation.
Alexander Dewberry, a junior in high school, said he has been considering welding as a career, including the possibility of pursuing it in the Army. He said the visits also exposed him to technology used in manufacturing. He said seeing the work firsthand gave him a better idea of what a future career could look like.
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“It’s like a sneak peek of what you could be doing after high school and stuff like that,” Dewberry said.
Organizers hope students leave with a better understanding of the manufacturing careers available in northeast Kansas and the opportunities to build a future close to home.
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