What’s So Cool About Manufacturing 2022
It is no secret that there is a skilled-labor shortage affecting the manufacturing industry in the U.S. The conflicting rhetoric of society reflects two perceptions: at one end is the dark, dirty and dangerous image of a factory, and the other is an entirely automated system with a few technicians. Neither perception does a good job describing the complex, multifaceted reality that is manufacturing. The outdated vision of low-tech plant floors, gritty working environments and dangerous machinery is creating an incorrect view of the manufacturing industry and the jobs, duties and talent requirements of those entering the field. The reality is that manufacturing plays a significant role in boosting a region’s economic growth and vitality. To ensure growth, companies today are modernizing the systems that run their businesses, improving operations, and investing in the lasting cutting-edge technologies. Manufacturing has since become increasingly more relevant and viable as a career path for today’s students. The What’s So Cool About Manufacturing video contest aims to prove the stigma wrong by letting students explore careers in manufacturing and show them that there are great employment opportunities in this field.
Created by the Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) in 2013, the WSCM annual video contest educates students on the viability of careers in STEM. Each year, teams of students and teachers are tasked with creating a two-minute video profile of a manufacturing facility. The students are guided by their teacher to record and edit video footage of employee interviews and elements of different manufacturing processes. Judges in each regional contest will review the final videos and bestow a variety of awards to the selected videos.
Wyomissing Visits Viwinco
This was our fourth year serving as a sponsor and participating manufacturer for the WSCM competition. For this competition, we were paired with a group of 7th-grade students from Wyomissing Area’s Junior-Senior High School, led by their teacher, Mr. Bratton. In December of 2021, the class visited our facility in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, to begin filming their video. The students were given a tour of our main facility by Viwinco’s Director of Human Resources, Zach Kuhn. The tour started in the glass shop and followed our windows through the entire manufacturing process, ending with shipping. Throughout the tour, the students were inquisitive and very engaged. They asked great questions about our processes and recorded great video footage of the manufacturing of our windows.
The tour ended at our Research and Development Center, where they used the training center to conduct several interviews with employees from different departments, including maintenance, production, IT, and upper management. When conducting the interviews with our team members, they acted extremely professional and respectful. Once the interviews were concluded, the group made their way to the testing wall where they conducted a Missile Level D Impact test on one of our OceanView impact resistant, double-hung windows. The test simulates a windborne projectile that could exist during extreme weather scenarios. It’s safe to say the kids had a blast and our windows are ready for any storm!
Awards for WSCM
On April 25th, our team attended the awards ceremony at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Reading, PA. This annual ceremony celebrates all of the student’s hard work and recognizes the importance of careers in manufacturing. We are overjoyed to say that our Wyomissing students won the award for Outstanding Team Spirit! We are beyond impressed by the hard work our students dedicated to this competition and are happy to know they now understand What’s So Cool About Manufacturing. Congratulations to all the winners and participants!
Click below to watch the video our students created!
