Page 4 - TTMNFallWinter2025

Manufacturing
Page 4 Electronic Edition: www.teachingtodaymn.com

Tom Peterson, owner of the climate “The field trips and internships help our
control business, remembers having a work students understand there are in-demand and
experience program when he was in high high-paying manufacturing jobs and career
school and offered to get the ball going with growth opportunities that will enable them
their company, says Brian Coleman, a career to stay in this area, build a career, and have
navigator with the district. Today, the business the lifestyle they enjoy outside of the Twin
maintains about 15 students annually. Cities,” says Jenny Fraley, school counselor
YST businesses support the district by and Bemidji career academics coordinator. In
participating in high-school career fairs, job addition to internships, Fraley values student
shadowing, and a unique signing day expe- interaction with non-parental adults who
rience for students who decide to transition encourage them and share new perspectives.
from an internship to full-time employee “It’s a great way to boost their confidence and
after graduation, explains Coleman. Students introduce them to life in the working world,
and their families tour the facility, then sign with guidance,” she says.
their first employment contract and receive a “Our kids sometimes fail to grasp how
special welcome. their classroom work relates to the real world,”
Coleman and Missy Koch, also a career says Jason Stanoch, principal. “We had a
navigator, see that students in the program are student who just hadn’t found his career path,
their best recruiters for the business, support- and he shared with his internship mentor that
ing other students to pursue work opportunities he didn’t think he would graduate. The mentor
because they share what they are working on pulled out a job application and showed him
and why they enjoy it. the first question was about graduating from
high school. That mentor and other co-workers
ISD 831: Forest Lake encouraged the student to complete his degree,
By creating a flexible YST framework, and he did.”
many area manufacturing businesses can
By Gretchen DeSutter “YST is a framework that is adaptable to offer students in the Forest Lake Area Schools ISD 11: Anoka-Hennepin
For many high school students, the community, school, and business needs across unique manufacturing career insight. Anoka-Hennepin, Minnesota’s largest
path to deciding what’s next after graduation the state,” says Jo Daggett, YST program “Not all businesses participating in our school district, uses the YST program to
can be difficult. To help juniors and seniors manager. “Through the YST program, our [CTE/YST] programs are able to provide paid explode old-school myths about careers in
broaden their perspective and gain more vis- team works to support the development of part- student internships and yet they still want to manufacturing.
ibility to manufacturing career opportunities, nerships between schools, industry employers, support students as they explore career oppor- “Our students quickly realize through our
Minnesota school districts are partnering and communities in responsive and meaning- tunities, including manufacturing,” says Molly field trips that manufacturing businesses are
with businesses, chambers of commerce, and ful ways that create long-term stability and a Bonnett, a college and career coordinator with unique, and there are high-growth and high-
technical colleges to create early learning and positive impact.” the district. “We created an a la carte frame- paying jobs in these businesses,” says Carter
immersive manufacturing experiences through Programs vary across the state based on work, which might mean a business comes in Gerlach, Anoka-Hennepin’s trade and industry
Career and Technical Education (CTE) pro- area manufacturing businesses and student and talks to the students at a career fair, hosts internship coordinator.
grams. interest. Here are some examples of how the a field trip tour at their business, or provides a Participating in shadowing days and
School districts work with the Min- program helps students. single day job shadowing opportunity.” internships also helps students find that at
nesota Department of Labor and Industry ISD 761: Owatonna Through a YST grant, Forest Lake times the job just isn’t what they thought it
Youth Skills Training (YST) program to expanded their CTE and offers career explora- would be, or that this just isn’t their passion.
develop classroom instruction, offer safety While the school district works with tion courses and created a coordinator position These opportunities offer growth and learning
training, certifications, and industry-recog- many businesses, their biggest programs are that supports business relationships, lines up that are equally welcomed by the employer
nized credentials, and paid work experience/ with two companies: a climate control busi- student internships, and supports students and the students.
internships in high-growth and high-demand ness, which designs and manufactures air from resume writing and interviewing through Today’s student can more fully experi-
occupations. Grants of up to $100,000 over handling units and dehumidifiers, and an on-the-job meetings with supervisors. ence real-life work environments that past
a two-year period are available through acoustics business, which provides innovative “I really enjoy seeing these students child labor laws would have prohibited. To
application; however, grant funding is not products for music and theater education and develop and find their paths through shad- ensure students are working safely, OSHA
mandatory to operate a YST program. performing arts venues. owing and internships,” says Mike Miron, a (Occupational Safety and Health Administra-
career and technical education coordinator tion) certifications are offered through many
with the district. “We had a student gradu- schools and employers and become another
ate in 2023 who did a job shadow in the auto differentiator on their student-to-adult resume.
body business and realized it wasn’t a good fit
for him. He wasn’t really an AP science/math ISD 728: Elk River
guy, but through a CAD course he realized he The Youth Skills Training grants have
enjoyed drafting and started to think engineer- helped ISD 728 pay salary costs associated
ing might be a career path. While completing with its work-based learning teacher position
his internship at a contract manufacturing and within its CTE internship program, which
injection molding company, they placed him helps students earn high school credits, learn
with the engineers and gave him some drafting about labor laws, safety on the job, and how
work. He proved himself and found his path. to navigate the world of work — such as
He went on to complete a two-year track at a getting along with co-workers, taking time off,
local college and was just offered a full-time being on time and prepared, and proper cell
position at the company as an engineer.” phone use. The YST program has the support
of industry credentials from OSHA 10, DOT
ISD 31: Bemidji Inspection, and other courses. “I am grate-
The Bemidji school district has created ful for the YST grants for helping our district
many lasting community and business rela- implement stronger career pathways and the
Left to right: Jo Daggett, YST Program Manager, Nimo Samatar, YST Program Consultant, and tionships for their students in a variety of
Faye Blough, YST Program Specialist. career areas including manufacturing. Continued on Page 6