Mike Pribanich from NYMAT Machine Tool Corporation, works with William Hammond, a Precision Machining student from Caledonia-Mumford High School, on the Haas TM-1P control machine in the Precision Machining shop at the Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center.
Submitted photo and press release:
Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center Precision Machining and Welding students celebrated the end of the school year with a visit with representatives from area manufacturing businesses.
The goal of the event was to introduce students to potential employers and for students to learn of the many career opportunities available in the manufacturing industry.
Lars Christensen, from Autodesk, a multinational software corporation that makes software for the architecture, engineering, construction, manufacturing, media, and entertainment industries, attended the event and spoke with students.
“I came to the United States in 1999 from Denmark and worked as a mold maker at a manufacturing facility in Rochester, New York," Christensen said. "I moved into the software industry and today I work for Autodesk, one of the biggest CAD-CAM companies in the world.
There are many prospects in this industry that students can pursue. I hope to encourage these students to do that.”
Erik Schwenzer works for NYMAT Machine Tool Corporation, a Haas Factory Outlet. He also attended and met with students.
“We are looking for summer employees as well as summer interns," Schwenzer said. "We like to be involved with the schools as much as possible because there is a real shortage of workers and many jobs are available in the manufacturing industry.
"Manufacturing is a great business that offers a host of opportunities. You make a very successful living and we need to show this to students.”
At the event, Christensen announced that he is funding a scholarship for Precision Machining and Welding students called the Master Manufacturing Scholarship. This scholarship will be presented tonight at the Batavia CTE Awards Night (June 5).
“This $500 scholarship will be presented to a student who is pursuing a career in the manufacturing industry or who is furthering his or her education. It can be used by the student for educational purposes or to purchase tools or whatever the student might need to be prepared for work,” Christensen said.
About CTE
The Batavia Career and Technical Education Center is a program of the Genesee Valley Educational Partnership. The Partnership operates as a Board of Cooperative Educational Services offering shared programs and services to 22 component school districts located in Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston and Steuben counties in New York State.
