Gateway's Advanced Manufacturing Expo April 30 Highlights Career, Education Opportunities to Students and Parents

Gateway Community & Technical College will host an evening for high school students and their parents to tour the colleges high-performance labs and learn about manufacturing careers, college credit available in high school, and apprenticeships. The Advanced Manufacturing Expo is April 30 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Center for Advanced Manufacturing on the Boone Campus, 500 Technology Way, Florence.

The event is free and open to the public. No reservations are needed. In addition to college officials, Gateway's industry partners will be on hand to discuss career opportunities and educational requirements with parents and students.

The expo is designed to give parents and students a chance to learn more about the exciting and high-paying careers that are available in the high-performance production environment, said Carissa Schutzman, Gateway's dean of Workforce Solutions.

A recent study by the Northern Kentucky Industrial Park Association revealed there are currently more than 680 advanced manufacturing jobs vacant in our region. Local employers project that more than 2,500 such jobs will be available in the next three years due to workforce growth and replacements, Schutzman said.
Students need to know about these opportunities, and parents need to know that Gateway provides the technical education that can prepare their children to fill these jobs, she added.

Participants can tour Gateway's Integrated Manufacturing Center, Computerized Manufacturing and Machining Lab, and Welding Lab between 5 and 6 p.m. and talk with manufacturers from 6 to 8 p.m. Gateway will conduct an information session on college credit that can be earned in high school from 6 to 6:30 p.m. Apprenticeship information will be shared from 6:30 to 7 p.m.

Admissions and financial aid information also will be provided. We know that parents are concerned about the cost of college and its return on investment in the form of job opportunities, Schutzman said. By the time they leave this event, parents and students will understand that Gateway is an excellent value. Our tuition is affordable, and the technical education we provide qualifies students for immediate entry into high-wage, high-demand jobs with a future.

For more information about the event, contact Michelle Flick at (859) 815-7687 or michelle.flick@kctcs.edu.