West Noble High School seniors tour manufacturing facilities

     The Noble County Economic Development Corporation (NCEDC) and Freedom Academy recently took West Noble High School seniors on an educational field trip to several local manufacturing plants.
     Four groups of students each visited three facilities, all located in either Albion, Ligonier, Rome City, Kendallville, or Avilla. Students were able to tour the plants, learn about manufacturing processes, and meet with HR representatives and plant managers.
     NCEDC Marketing Coordinator Sami Jacobs said, “It’s so important for our youth to know what kinds of benefits manufacturing careers can offer. Our goal is to give them some exposure to the opportunities that are right here in Noble County that they may not have known about.”
     The students learned about each company’s starting wages, benefits, application processes, and the educational requirements for entry-level positions.
     The students and teacher chaperones were surveyed on their experiences after the tours. 92% of student respondents said they learned something new about manufacturing, and some indicated they were surprised by the cleanliness of the factories and higher-than-expected starting wages.
     Julie Overby of Busche Performance Group gave her input on why she would encourage people to pursue a manufacturing career: “It’s a fast-growing, science-based sector full of rewarding, high-tech careers that pay, on average, far better than non-manufacturing jobs.”
Several of the chaperones expressed their opinions on manufacturing jobs, saying they are a good option for students who are planning on going to college as well as those who are not.
     The NCEDC is planning on running the field trip again next year.