Erie, PA - Last week, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin and other PDE officials visited McDowell Manufacturing – a student-run initiative – at McDowell High School in Erie to learn how students are being prepared for careers in the manufacturing field and beyond.
“I am elated to join McDowell Manufacturing and the Millcreek Township School District to discuss the importance of technical education in high schools and how programs, like McDowell Manufacturing, are setting students up for success by engaging them in real-world projects and partnerships. There is no better time to highlight the success of these programs than the day before National Manufacturing Day,” said Secretary Mumin. “The skills these students are learning while still in high school are skills that will lead them to high-demand, high-paying jobs. Providing students with the opportunity to network and work with successful businesses in their local communities is beneficial for everyone involved and I cannot wait to see McDowell Manufacturing continue to grow and thrive.”
National Manufacturing Day (MFG Day), held annually on the first Friday in October, helps to showcase the reality and future of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging companies and educational institutions to open their doors to students, parents, educators, and community leaders. Manufacturers will seek to fill four million high-skill, high-tech, and high-paying jobs over the next decade – skills students at McDowell Manufacturing are learning while still in high school. The partnership between Millcreek Township School District and the Northwestern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NWIRC) represents MFG Day’s mission to empower manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges and build excitement about manufacturing careers, helping their communities and future generations to thrive.
“McDowell Manufacturing is a student-run enterprise, manufacturing real parts for real companies in Erie, PA. Students utilize cutting edge manufacturing technology to produce parts for the transportation, packaging, and plastics industries,” said Kyle Bucholtz, Technology Education Teacher. “Through strong public and private partnerships, McDowell Manufacturing has been able to leverage state and local funding to create a nationally recognized model for manufacturing education, while improving Erie’s future talent pipeline.”
McDowell Manufacturing works with local major businesses including the NWIRC, Advanced Welding Technologies, EPA Manufacturing, F&S Tool, and Munot Plastics – partnerships that help to advance work readiness in students, as well as capacity for local manufacturers. The program also creates a short-term solution to job placement needs for businesses, a future talent pipeline, and cultivates the next generation of manufacturing business leaders.
The 2023-24 commonsense, bipartisan budget delivers on Governor Josh Shapiro’s top priorities to create a stronger economy, safer and healthier communities, and better schools. This budget makes historic investments in education for students across Pennsylvania, including $567 million in basic education funding – the largest increase to the Basic Education Funding Formula in Pennsylvania history. It also includes $23.5 million to bring career and technical education back into the classroom, giving every student the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed.