New partnership helps Kentucky students fill roles in manufacturing

LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — 50 scholarships shall be out there for manufacturing college students within the Kentucky Group and Technical Faculty System.

Xometry, which “helps firms create regionally resilient provide chains by offering entry to home producers” is awarding these scholarships “to coach the subsequent era of expert mechanical engineers, technicians, and machinists.”

“We work with 1000’s of producers throughout the nation. We uniquely perceive their imminent wants, and a talented workforce tops the checklist,” the corporate’s CEO Randy Altschuler mentioned on Friday.

And that matches proper into Kentucky’s plan.

Lt. Governor Jacqueline Coleman mentioned Kentucky is concentrated on financial growth and that features getting extra manufacturing into the state.

“Kentucky’s economic system is on fireplace and [Friday’s] announcement underscores the actual fact,” Coleman mentioned. “Xometry is betting on Workforce Kentucky, particularly our college students and subsequent era of leaders.”

She believes the timing is ideal as a result of the pandemic and international provide chain points made firms notice they want native manufacturing choices.

“As soon as the pandemic hit, we realized all of the issues that we took without any consideration that weren’t actually made right here,” mentioned Coleman. “So, we’re making an actual effort to ensure that that does not occur once more.”

However to draw extra firms, Kentucky wants a talented workforce. And studying the talents that manufacturing positions require can get costly. So, college students are enthusiastic about scholarship alternatives.

“There are a number of folks taking out loans and a few which are having to work a ton of time beyond regulation simply to afford this,” mentioned Robert Freeman, a producing pupil. “So [it’s] very, very useful for us.”

Xometry leaders say the scholarships will assist guarantee “that producers can appeal to and prepare workers who will energy the industries of tomorrow.”

“This can present a possibility for extra Kentuckians to earn credentials which are in excessive demand within the manufacturing subject,” mentioned Kentucky Group and Technical Faculty System President Dr. Paul Czarapata. “It’s additionally a win for employers who can’t discover sufficient expert staff.”

Extra details about the scholarships could be discovered right here.