Dike-New Hartford Takes Manufacturing Tour
posted on Friday, October 3, 2014 in
College News
By: Olivia Mancino, KWWL
CEDAR FALLS—Hawkeye Community College and the Cedar Valley Alliance have one goal in mind—to change the perception of manufacturing.
The Dike-New Hartford freshman took a tour of Kryton Engineering Metals on Friday.
"Everybody's got this perception that manufacturing is dirty and grimy and things like that, but you look around at a facility like Kryton and that's not the case at all," Hawkeye career coordinator Erin Swancutt said.
Swancutt said more importantly, they wanted to show students there's a high demand for jobs in the Cedar Valley.
"There's a lot of people who will be retiring in the industry so they have a huge workforce that needs to be filled. So showing students what's here in important."
Kryton employees demonstrated machinery to the students and told them about their responsibilities at the factory.
Although some manufacturing companies are still laying off workers, Swancutt says there are still jobs for future generations.
"When you see layoffs, yeah that happens, but if students are skilled and trained there will be a lot more opportunities for them in the future."
Note: This is the third year Hawkeye Community College and the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance and Chamber have sponsored Manufacturing Day tours. Participating companies include: Iowa Laser Technology, John Deere, Kryton Engineered Metals, Omega Cabinetry, Power Engineering and Manufacturing LTD, Schumacher Elevator Company, and Viking Pump Inc. Ninth grade students from Aplington-Parkersburg, Dike-New Hartford, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, Hudson, Waterloo East, and Waterloo West High Schools toured the participating companies.
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