SME Program at EASTEC 2009 targets students and teachers .
Press Release Summary:
Open to students and teachers in grades 8-12, Careers In Technology Program is expected to include over 500 students who will tour exhibits and talk to manufacturers. Day-long program will be held May 21 and will also feature Model Mania design competition, which allows students to test their skills by creating a 3-dimensional model in 20 minutes. Participating students will receive Design Competition Kit with SolidWorks Software.
Original Press Release:
Careers in Technology the Focus for 500 Students at EASTEC 2009
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass., February 11, 2009 - Manufacturers will need to fill hundreds of thousands of jobs over the next decade. An aging workforce expected to retire during that period will open the doors to stable, good paying jobs for vocational school, community college, and on the job training program graduates.
Students and teachers can learn more about these opportunities through EASTEC and its Careers In Technology Program. Registration for the free May 21st day-long program has already started and is open to students and teachers in grades 8-12. Careers in Technology is expected to attract over 500 students who will be able to tour the exhibits, talk to manufacturers, and participate in a design competition.
"At EASTEC, our students can see the newest, most sophisticated manufacturing equipment and tooling in the world," notes David Cruise Director of Business & Employment Services at the Regional Employment Board of Hampden County. "It gets them excited about careers in manufacturing."
The "Model Mania," design competition allows students to test their skills by creating a 3-dimensional model in 20 minutes. Participating students receive a free Design Competition Kit containing SolidWorks Software with a 150-day license, practice exercises, and access to online tutorials. SolidWorks donates the software each year and their staff volunteers to manage the competition. There is also approximately $600,000 in scholarship assistance available through EASTEC sponsor, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME).
About EASTEC
EASTEC, the largest manufacturing event on the East Coast, is co-sponsored by SME, the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association, and the Association for Manufacturing Technology. The event celebrates its 30-year anniversary on May 19th-21st at the Eastern States Exhibition in West Springfield, MA, and is expected to draw over 14,000 attendees and 600 exhibitors. Spread over 160,000 square feet, EASTEC consists of five technology-focused areas: Precision Manufacturing Equipment and Systems; Automation, Supply Chain and Process Improvement; Plant, Energy, and Environmental Efficiency; Design Engineering and Rapid Technologies; and Tooling, Workholding, and Machining Accessories. Attendees can also learn how to maximize their use of technology and learn about leading edge, cost effective approaches through four new EASTEC Resource Centers: Lean & Green, Energy, Medical, and Aerospace & Defense.
About SME
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world's leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Through its member programs, publications, expositions and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Michigan, SME influences more than half a million manufacturing practitioners and executives annually. The Society has members in more than 70 countries and is supported by a network of hundreds of technical communities and chapters worldwide.
