On Monday, July 23, a class of eight White Bear Lake High School Manufacturing Pathways students were honored for the successful completion of their paid, summer internships with eight NE Metro Industry Partners (manufacturing firms). In attendance, with the students and their families – at Jimmy’s Event Center in Vadnais Heights – were Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, WBLAS Superintendents Wayne Kazmierczak and Sara Paul, WBLAS Career Pathways Navigators Jenny Moore and Jeremy Kerg, and Industry Partners’ professionals. In addition, Sponsoring Partner Comcast Business representatives and VHEDC Executive Director Ling Becker and VHEDC Board President Debby Gustafson celebrated the students’ achievements, which included OSHA 10 credentialing – new this year to the award-winning GenZ Connection: Skills and Careers in Manufacturing program.

Senior High School students Kyle Anderson, Taylor Nelson, Jack Pendergast, Bela Larsen, Talley Kohler, Stella Cotner, Grant Unger and Carl Swanson detailed their individual hands-on, skills-based experiences at the production facilities of long-established, local manufacturing firms: SCHWING America, Mold Craft, The Specialty Mfg. Co., Renstrom Dental Studios, Pace Industries, LasX, Superior Machine and Teamvantage.

Students were closely supervised and mentored in a wide variety of manufacturing components that complemented, in some respects, their high school classes, including: CAD design and programming, machining, milling electrodes, injection molding, 3D printing, basic engineering, quality control, CNC manufacturing, laser technology in food packaging and warehouse organization. SCHWING, Mold Craft and Specialty Mfg. were returning Industry Partners from the inaugural GenZ Connections year (2017). Mold Craft – another 2018 financial investor, in addition to Comcast and VHEDC – made funds available through a grant from the American Mold Builders Association (AMBA). Additionally, White Bear Lake Area Education Foundation provided funding for steel-toed work boots for all student participants.

In January, Vadnais Heights Economic Development Corporation (VHEDC) received the Partnership Award by the Economic Development Association of Minnesota (EDAM) for GenZ Connection. One of the program’s partners, Ramsey County, was instrumental in facilitating changes to Minnesota Child Labor Laws that prohibited individuals under the age of 18 from working on a manufacturing floor with the type of machinery used by the Industry Partners. According to Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, the importance of the program warranted “a quick fix” that was also aided by the Minnesota Department of Education and the Department of Labor and Industry. Additionally, Ramsey County ensured the students would be paid for their 90-hour, four-week internships.

White Bear Lake Area Schools (WBLAS) Superintendent Wayne Kazmierczak recognized the value of partnership with VHEDC’s Workforce Development/GenZ Connection program which has created opportunities that allow for dialogue, tours, internships, presentations and connections with businesses that “promise great futures for our students.”

WBLAS Manufacturing Career Pathways Navigator Jeremy Kerg praised the students’ work ethic and enthusiasm for exploring new careers, noting the importance of developing a skilled workforce for local businesses now and in the future. Also noteworthy, Kerg explained, was how this year’s class benefited from an online OSHA 10 training course. The 10-hour course provides general awareness on primary safety and health matters and is highly valued by employers.

VHEDC Executive Director Ling Becker thanked valuable partners and sponsors: “Supporting and promoting partnerships between schools and industries aligns directly with VHEDC’s mission and vision, and we are so very grateful to Comcast, Mold Craft and other industry and community partners who make the GenZ program possible.

“STEM education, as we know it, is changing rapidly. Employers are recognizing the need to get a pipeline of workers faster and are leaning increasingly on two-year and technical degrees rather than just four-year programs. Employers are committed to training their employees on the job in more of a “learn & earn” model. The GenZ Connections program helps students get paid work experience and OSHA 10 training. This program is absolutely crucial to growing a strong and sustainable manufacturing workforce in the Northeast Metro area.”