Over 600 Local Students Participate in Manufacturing Day at NPC
National Park College (NPC) hosted more than 600 students from area school districts Friday as part of a nationwide initiative for Manufacturing Day. Participating schools included Lake Hamilton, Fountain Lake, Mountain Pine, Jessieville, Hot Springs, Ouachita River, and area home school students.
NPC organized campus tours, visits to local industries, guest speakers, and hosted
a trade show for students to connect with manufacturing through hands-on experiences.
Airtech Supply, Inc., Alliance Rubber, Timber Automation, Berry Global, and the NPC
Innovative Technologies Center provided tours for students. Vice President for Workforce
and Strategic Initiatives, Kelli Albrecht said, “We have had tremendous support for
our fourth annual Manufacturing Day from our local manufacturing partners.
Post-Secondary program tours included welding, aerospace and industrial technology.
Students were provided information about career opportunities upon completion of these
programs. The Aerospace tour included demonstrations of how airplane parts are made
from fiberglass, graphite, honeycomb cores, and structural rivets. The industrial
technology lab provided students hands-on experiences with hydraulics, motor controls,
and gear trains.
National Park Technology Center (NPTC) program tours included pre-engineering, wood
technology, and machine tool technology. NPTC students shared projects from their
Pathways to Engineering class for high school juniors and seniors. The Wood Technology
tour showed students how skateboards are made using a vacuum bag for shaping the wood,
laminating techniques, and computer numeric controls (CNC).
Five vendors participated in the hands-on manufacturing trade show located in the NPTC student center, including Mountain Valley Spring Company, Arkansas Welding and Industrial Supply, Xpress Boats, Timber Automation and NPC Innovative Technologies Center.
De Ann Bliss, CTE Coordinator of Jessieville School District commented, “Most students did not realize the impact manufacturing has on us as a country. This was a true learning experience.”
Five vendors participated in the hands-on manufacturing trade show located in the NPTC student center, including Mountain Valley Spring Company, Arkansas Welding and Industrial Supply, Xpress Boats, Timber Automation and NPC Innovative Technologies Center.
“We want students to understand that today’s manufacturing jobs have evolved into sophisticated career paths. Many require highly skilled employees with training in aerospace and industrial technology, engineering, computer programming, biochemistry, and robotics,” said Albrecht. “We are excited that the Innovative Technologies Center is also participating this year with tours of that facility. Students will be able to see firsthand how this high-tech training translates into great jobs right here in Garland County,” Albrecht added.
Pictured: Hot Springs Junior Academy students during the NPC Industrial Technology program tour with instructor William Freuck.
