Page 10 - TTMNFallWinter2025

Manufacturing
Page 10 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaymn.com

2026 Minnesota Manufactured™ Student Video Contest

 What positions are available in the smartphone, tablet, or camera. Be cre-
industry? ative and have fun!
 How can you make a difference • Edit your video. Once you have filmed
working in manufacturing? your video, you can use video editing
 Showcase positive work environ- software to edit and publish your cre-
ments and happy employees? ation. This will help your video look and
 What is so cool about working in the sound the best.
manufacturing industry? Examples of last year’s video contest finalists:
 What exciting technologies are used • North East Range Video: https://www.
in today’s manufacturing? youtube.com/watch?v=MxzOb2_YmkU
 What manufacturing careers are you • Rocori VEX Robotics Video —
interested in? Rocori Middle School: https://vimeo.
 What does it mean to you to be a Min- com/921648591
nesota manufacturer? • Mason Goebel: https://www.youtube.
 How can we encourage more students com/watch?v=cEMPoi5cA2Y
The Minnesota Manufactured™ Student Prizes to pursue manufacturing careers? Videos will be judged on the following criteria:
Video Contest is an excellent opportunity for  What does a career path look like • Creativity
students to learn about the exciting careers in  1st place = $750 from high school to a career in
the manufacturing industry, share their creativ-  2nd place = $500 manufacturing? • Message
ity, and win big with cash prizes! Students can  3rd place = $250  How can a career in manufacturing • Video quality
win up to $750 in cash prizes for themselves impact the world? Submission deadline: January 31, 2026.
or their schools, have their videos shared How to Create Your Video If you have questions, or for more infor-
statewide and be featured at the Minnesota • Choose a topic related to manufacturing. • Write a script for your video. This will mation, please contact Carissa Menefee,
Manufactured™ Awards Banquet. Participating Here are some ideas: help you to stay on track and make sure Communications Specialist, at carissa.
in the video contest also helps to raise visibil-  Why should someone consider a that your video has a clear message. menefee@minnstate.edu.
ity and awareness of all manufacturing careers career in manufacturing? • Film your video. You can use a variety Additional Information: https://www.
throughout the state. of devices to film your video, such as a mnmfg.org/videocontest2026

Saints Comes Marching In Continued from Page 6

metal shop by an inmate who used one of the operate older equipment, Trost says.
shop’s tools for the assault, leading to closure “This program has definitely pushed me
of the corrections manufacturing program. out of my comfort zone as an instructor,” he
That left MnDOT so desperate for a replace- adds. “I never in my life thought I’d be looking
ment workforce that it asked new employees, at three CNC mills and watching students use
such as Trost’s brother, for referrals to any pro- them so well.”
grams that seemed suitable.
That’s how Trost got connected to Brian More Than Manufacturing
McDonald, MnDOT’s transportation materials Learning to weld, run machines, and
supervisor, who appreciated the idea that this program a CNC mill all positions students
was a chance not just to get manufacturing ser- for manufacturing and machinist careers after
vices but also to contribute to training the next they graduate — or give them foundational
generation of manufacturing professionals. knowledge for transitioning into a vocational
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen many metal college program — but it’s not just the hands-
fabrication classes and woodshop classes taken on skills that students appreciate.
out of a lot of high schools,” McDonald says. “We learn to approach a job in a profes-
“That’s contributed to fewer students being sional way,” says Dean Glissmeyer. “We do
interested in pursuing skilled trades. Saints quality inspections, pricing, and workflow.
Manufacturing is meeting that need — and It’s an incredible feeling to know that a part
in Strum, Wisconsin., which founded Car- custom signs that anyone in the area could that’s huge. We desperately need machinists, I made isn’t just affecting my grade, it’s being
dinal Manufacturing in 2008. Operating as order. But it wasn’t long before a casual con- welders, and fabricators, and Saints is giving used on a truck by MnDOT.”
a company within a school, it offers custom versation at a family gathering really fired up these students a chance to understand what Glissmeyer is also an example of the
manufacturing, machining, design, and repair. the production line. those jobs are like.” program’s reach in the community. The
Cardinal runs workshops for other school Over the past seven years, MnDOT and 17-year-old isn’t a regular student at St.
districts to encourage the development of On the Growth Track Saints have grown their relationship, and at Francis; he’s homeschooled and is able to
similar programs, and after Trost attended, Two years after Saints launched, Trost this point, Trost says about 95% of Saints’ take the program as an elective — it’s actually
he was immediately sold on the concept. The was grilling next to his brother-in-law, who production is done for MnDOT in the form of the only class he attends at the school. Two
next year, students signed up for the chopper had just started working for the Minnesota parts for plow trucks, shop carts, push pulls, of his siblings also took the program and are
program were transferred to Saints, as the Department of Transportation (MnDOT), and and more. For the 2023-24 school year, Saints now working in manufacturing. Glissmeyer is
chopper course was shuttered. they began discussing manufacturing. did about $241,000 in business with MnDOT, gearing up to become an underwater welder
“I knew we should jump in with both At the time, MnDOT was in crisis mode and the next year was $181,000. Profits enable and has already become a certified SCUBA
feet. I had a feeling the students would appre- because it had been sourcing manufacturing the program to acquire the most up-to-date diver in addition to taking three years of man-
ciate being able to make real products that projects related to its vehicles to the Minnesota machinery available, so students won’t be ufacturing classes at St. Francis. “Based on
were used in the community,” Trost says. The Correctional Facility-Stillwater in Bayport. stepping into a career knowing only how to
program kicked off with creating fire rings and Then a corrections officer was killed in the Continued on Page 12