TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Several area high school students interested in the engineering and technology industry got the opportunity to interact, network, and explore the tech industry as multiple local companies were at Washburn University looking to recruit students.
Thursday morning, Washburn University hosted the “Made for Manufacturing” event, so industry professionals can meet and convince students to consider engineering and technology. About 18 manufacturing companies signed up, including the Topeka company, Frito Lay.
Go Topeka worked with Washburn Tech and the Greater Topeka Partnership to arrange this networking event. Trina Goss, Go Topeka’s director of business & talent initiatives, said the students were offered passports with a list of questions to ask and space to write down contact information. She said the passports are meant to encourage the students to interact and help them practice networking.
“We provided students with a passport with a list of questions and a space to write in contact information, so we really are encouraging interaction on both ends and it is great for the students to have that one-on-one contact with the company, said Goss.
Another goal behind this event is to inspire young people to join a rapidly growing industry.
“Manufacturing is a growing industry, and it is an industry that is never going to go away,” said Goss. “It is the backbone of everything that we do, and without it, we would have nothing. So, the workforce pipeline needs to continue to grow and reach young people, because people are constantly retiring, moving out of the workforce, so, we need young people to move into the workforce and be ready to fill those roles.”
David Sadler, a high school senior, was one of the students at the event exploring the tech industry and found the experience helpful.
“I never really knew what I was going to do, but there are just so many things that I could do, and it is really opening up things, and now I have things I might want to do,” said Sadler. “It’s a really good experience.”
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