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APA and Meyer Tool Partner for Educational Internship
April 30, 2012
Desiree - Austin Polythechnical Academy
“Manufacturing is a good thing to go into” said Meyer Tool’s spring intern, Desiree Wordlaw. “Not many women are involved in manufacturing, but women can do it just like men can. Manufacturing offers the potential to do lots of things such as work in a hands-on environment, own your own business, or break lingering gender roles and stereotypes.”
Desiree is a junior at Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA), a pre-engineering college and career preparatory high school on the west side of Chicago. APA provides students the opportunity to gain hands-on machining experience via their on-site shop and most students achieve one or more NIMS credentials by the time they graduate. APA also partners with local manufacturers to provide internships and shadow experiences in their junior and senior years. Students gain a strong pre-engineering academic background as well as on-the-job, real world work experience to build their resume well beyond that of the average person their age. At graduation, they are both career and college ready!
Through her exposure at APA, Desiree developed a strong interest in engineering and manufacturing as a future career path. When the opportunity arose for Desiree to come intern at Meyer Tool over her spring break, she readily agreed. While she had no prior knowledge of Meyer Tool when the internship was offered to her, she looked the company up right away and was excited by their impressive project and customer base.
Desiree is a junior at Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA), a pre-engineering college and career preparatory high school on the west side of Chicago. APA provides students the opportunity to gain hands-on machining experience via their on-site shop and most students achieve one or more NIMS credentials by the time they graduate. APA also partners with local manufacturers to provide internships and shadow experiences in their junior and senior years. Students gain a strong pre-engineering academic background as well as on-the-job, real world work experience to build their resume well beyond that of the average person their age. At graduation, they are both career and college ready!
Through her exposure at APA, Desiree developed a strong interest in engineering and manufacturing as a future career path. When the opportunity arose for Desiree to come intern at Meyer Tool over her spring break, she readily agreed. While she had no prior knowledge of Meyer Tool when the internship was offered to her, she looked the company up right away and was excited by their impressive project and customer base.
Desiree hoped to learn many things throughout her week at Meyer Tool. She hoped to gain “more knowledge of niche manufacturing,” as well as how work “moves from the office onto the shop floor,” and how this, in turn, translates into unique “orders being fabricated,” since Meyer Tool does not produce a limited set of products like her previous internship. Desiree enjoyed “the variety that Meyer Tool offers” both its customers and employees, and said that in the week she spent at Meyer Tool, she was able to develop a sense that a basic manufacturing skill set, such as one taught at APA, can be nurtured and grown into a fulfilling career through the consistently different projects undertaken at Meyer Tool.
The variety that Meyer Tool offers spoke to Desiree’s interests. She describes herself as not having “always been technically minded,” but she has always “wanted to know how things are created.” The variety of projects that Desiree observed while at Meyer Tool gave her insight not only into the production of the cryogenic, vacuum, and pressure projects in the shop, but also the tools national laboratories and industries use as part of their own daily work. Desiree was also excited to learn the essentials of quality assurance while shadowing Quality Inspector, Raphael Yah, including hands-on experience with inspection tools such as calipers, micrometers and indicators. While observing quality procedures, Desiree “was taught how to read a gauge for plating” and watched as “Rafael went through the steps involved in Quality Control.” Desiree was aware, having interned in a manufacturing environment previously, that quality is integral to a company’s success, and observed firsthand the principles behind Meyer Tool’s dedication to reduced project risk.
Desiree noted that teamwork was another important aspect of manufacturing that initially drew her towards the field. At Meyer Tool, she worked primarily with machinists Stephen Stocklen and Steve Macewko. Desiree described the complementary skills that each brought to the manufacturing team, noting that often “if one of them did not know something, the other undoubtedly did.” Desiree discussed how “the Steves’ playing off each other actually helped her understand many of the procedures she was shown a lot better.” Throughout the week Desiree both observed and learned how to complete post machine inspections, tap and counterbore holes. She also gained milling experience, machining soft jaws to print from start to finish.
The variety that Meyer Tool offers spoke to Desiree’s interests. She describes herself as not having “always been technically minded,” but she has always “wanted to know how things are created.” The variety of projects that Desiree observed while at Meyer Tool gave her insight not only into the production of the cryogenic, vacuum, and pressure projects in the shop, but also the tools national laboratories and industries use as part of their own daily work. Desiree was also excited to learn the essentials of quality assurance while shadowing Quality Inspector, Raphael Yah, including hands-on experience with inspection tools such as calipers, micrometers and indicators. While observing quality procedures, Desiree “was taught how to read a gauge for plating” and watched as “Rafael went through the steps involved in Quality Control.” Desiree was aware, having interned in a manufacturing environment previously, that quality is integral to a company’s success, and observed firsthand the principles behind Meyer Tool’s dedication to reduced project risk.
Desiree noted that teamwork was another important aspect of manufacturing that initially drew her towards the field. At Meyer Tool, she worked primarily with machinists Stephen Stocklen and Steve Macewko. Desiree described the complementary skills that each brought to the manufacturing team, noting that often “if one of them did not know something, the other undoubtedly did.” Desiree discussed how “the Steves’ playing off each other actually helped her understand many of the procedures she was shown a lot better.” Throughout the week Desiree both observed and learned how to complete post machine inspections, tap and counterbore holes. She also gained milling experience, machining soft jaws to print from start to finish.
Experiences at Austin Polytech have primed Desiree’s interest in engineering and manufacturing. Desiree views her internship experience as a valuable tool in determining what she wants to do with her life. She states “Austin Polytech has provided me with a perspective on engineering and manufacturing and my internships have served to reinforce” the belief that the manufacturing industry is a strong and reliable career choice. The potential to follow a stable and lucrative career path without collegiate debt is a strong incentive for many in search of employment nowadays, and the growth of the US manufacturing industry makes this path all the more enticing. Meyer Tool allows individuals to pursue a well-paying job prior to receiving a higher education; in fact, through their tuition reimbursement program, Meyer Tool has set in place a conduit through which employees can both build a successful career and obtain a college education, debt-free. After high school, Desiree expressed an interest in attending the University of Michigan. Desiree discussed how her education at Austin Polytech and her internship experiences have molded her interests toward the technical and how she intends to pursue these cultivated interests via her college education and career path.
Desiree knows that the opportunity to build a career and receive a higher education at the same time is a good one. Manufacturing offers stable and lucrative job opportunities both in trades requiring hands-on skills such as machining, welding and technician work, as well as careers requiring 4-year degrees, such as engineering. Desiree believes that possessing these skills makes a person more marketable for long term employment. She hopes that her education at Austin Polytech and her involvement in the manufacturing industry will enable her to pursue an enriching career path that will offer access to varied experiences.
The US manufacturing industry is steadily growing and offers strong and reliable employment; yet, there are not enough skilled workers to fill vacant positions. Often, today’s teen are unaware of this need or that these opportunities exist. Austin Polytech has initiated a program that matches students looking for a stable and fulfilling career with a career that needs skilled workers. Meyer Tool President, Eileen Cunningham states, “Meyer Tool is excited to partner with a high school dedicated to promoting engineering and manufacturing excellence in teens. The concept of Austin Polytech and their commitment to developing these interests in the next generation of leaders is of great benefit both to the teens they influence and to the manufacturing industry as a whole.”
Desiree emphasized the “wonderful opportunity” her week at Meyer Tool presented her with, and was adamant that she “would be happy to do it again.” She stated that the “variety” of the shop’s projects and the “family” like atmosphere that Meyer Tool created affirmed what she already knew: a career in manufacturing is an opportunity to continually grow. Manufacturing requires a desire to create and to understand the way things work, but it also offers a basis upon which those employed in the manufacturing industry can build their own lives. And that is a good thing for everyone.
See Desiree discuss her thoughts on manufacturing and her internship at Meyer Tool at http://vimeo.com/40745020.
Desiree knows that the opportunity to build a career and receive a higher education at the same time is a good one. Manufacturing offers stable and lucrative job opportunities both in trades requiring hands-on skills such as machining, welding and technician work, as well as careers requiring 4-year degrees, such as engineering. Desiree believes that possessing these skills makes a person more marketable for long term employment. She hopes that her education at Austin Polytech and her involvement in the manufacturing industry will enable her to pursue an enriching career path that will offer access to varied experiences.
The US manufacturing industry is steadily growing and offers strong and reliable employment; yet, there are not enough skilled workers to fill vacant positions. Often, today’s teen are unaware of this need or that these opportunities exist. Austin Polytech has initiated a program that matches students looking for a stable and fulfilling career with a career that needs skilled workers. Meyer Tool President, Eileen Cunningham states, “Meyer Tool is excited to partner with a high school dedicated to promoting engineering and manufacturing excellence in teens. The concept of Austin Polytech and their commitment to developing these interests in the next generation of leaders is of great benefit both to the teens they influence and to the manufacturing industry as a whole.”
Desiree emphasized the “wonderful opportunity” her week at Meyer Tool presented her with, and was adamant that she “would be happy to do it again.” She stated that the “variety” of the shop’s projects and the “family” like atmosphere that Meyer Tool created affirmed what she already knew: a career in manufacturing is an opportunity to continually grow. Manufacturing requires a desire to create and to understand the way things work, but it also offers a basis upon which those employed in the manufacturing industry can build their own lives. And that is a good thing for everyone.
See Desiree discuss her thoughts on manufacturing and her internship at Meyer Tool at http://vimeo.com/40745020.
