FMA Foundation awards manufacturing scholarships to 9 students.
Press Release Summary:
Nine students seeking careers in manufacturing earned $1,500 toward their college or trade school education from Nuts, Bolts, and Thingamajigs®, The Foundation of FMA. Winners included John Bennett, Thomas Brown, Guy Chan, Christopher Ditalia, Joe Dobie, Earley Cody Hill, Ryan Melville, Christopher Norman, and Lance Poeppelman. Half of this year's winners are over 40 and are going back to school to acquire skills that will help them be more competitive in manufacturing market.
Original Press Release:
9 Students Win Manufacturing Scholarships from Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs
ROCKFORD, Ill., - Nine students seeking careers in manufacturing earned $1,500 toward their college or trade school education from Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs® (NBT), The Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl.® (FMA).
This year NBT awarded scholarships totaling $13,500 to college- or trade school-bound post secondary students who seek careers in manufacturing. The 2010 winners are:
"We congratulate the students selected as NBT scholarship award winners, and are pleased to assist them in fulfilling their academic goals," said Gerald Shankel, president and CEO of the NBT. "These students recognize that working a skilled manufacturing job can be rewarding financially and fulfilling personally. Our 2010-11 winners show that education is not an activity reserved for people in their teens and early 20s. Half of this year's winners are over 40 and are going back to school full-time to acquire skills that will help them be more competitive in the 21st century manufacturing job market.
"Despite the shaky economy, a 2009 Manpower Talent Shortage Survey report revealed that the skilled manual trades are among the most difficult jobs to fill in North America," added Shankel. "With majors in machine tool technology, advanced manufacturing, welding, computer engineering technology, manufacturing engineering, and industrial technology, these students will be prepared to fill the skilled labor openings that American manufacturers must fill."
All of the 2010 NBT scholarship winners will attend a technical college or community college.
To be eligible for the scholarships, applicants were required to be full-time students meeting a specified minimum GPA, and enrolled in an engineering or manufacturing-related course of study, or a trade or technical program leading to a career in manufacturing. Students were responsible for submitting academic records and an engineering or manufacturing-related program description with each application.
In addition to the monetary grant, each scholarship winner also received from NBT's industry partner SolidWorks Corporation, a copy of its Student Design Kit CAD software package. The Student Design Kit is an easy-to-learn, Windows-based 3D CAD application that gives students the ability to create "real-life" 3D designs they can easily manipulate.
For more information about scholarship winners and information about next year's awards, please visit http://www.nutsandboltsfoundation.org/Scholarships.
About SolidWorks Corporation
SolidWorks Corporation, a Dassault Systèmes S.A. (Nasdaq: DASTY, Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) company, develops and markets software for design, analysis, and product data management. It is the leading supplier of 3D CAD technology, giving teams intuitive, high-performing software that helps them design better products. For the latest news, information, or a live online demonstration, visit the company's Web site (www.solidworks.com) or call 1-800-693-9000.
About NBT/FMA
Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs is the foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl. NBT provides funding to organizations starting or expanding manufacturing camps for youth, and issues scholarships to students at colleges and trade schools pursuing careers in manufacturing. More information on NBT is available by visiting www.NutsAndBoltsFoundation.org.
Based in Rockford, Ill., the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl. (FMA) is a professional organization reaching more than 135,000 industry professionals world-wide focused on improving the metal forming and fabricating industry. Visit www.fmanet.org for more information.
