Local eighth-graders are getting a peek at what manufacturing looks like in Elkhart County, Ind., this week and a glimpse of what future careers could await them.
Nearly 3,000 Elkhart County students are visiting manufacturers across the county as part of Manufacturing Day, according to the Elkhart Truth. The Horizon Education Alliance partnered with 77 manufacturers throughout the county to make this week possible.
Manufacturing Day is a nationwide celebration meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. The event started on Monday and will continue through Oct. 10.
A small group of Goshen Middle School eighth-graders got a tour of Lippert Components Plant 228 on Goshen’s south side late Wednesday morning.
Students were able to see how the company produces and designs the windows of a recreational vehicle. Lippert Components is a leading supplier of premium, quality windows for the residential housing, RV, bus, equestrian trailer, specialty vehicle and heavy truck industries.
The day is intended to get Elkhart County students to start thinking about pursuing a career in the manufacturing sector, said Toby Crowley, general manager of Lippert Plant 228, who helped lead the tour.
Crowley said not all students are college-bound after high school, and Manufacturing Day is valuable in showing them that career options are available after they graduate.