GCAMP holds an annual Manufacturing Open House for students and parents primarily, with a handful of manufacturers and educators, including HS career advisors in attendance.
The 2020 event was scheduled in Mid-March at DMG Mori in Hoffman Estates and was to include a new Student Showcase to display projects for parents and younger students as well as manufacturers to view and discuss. Due to the Coronavirus outbreaks, we will revisit this again, hopefully in 2021.
The last event in April 2019 saw approximately 75 in attendance including 45 students. Beginning with a tour and machine demonstrations, we split the parents and students into two breakout sessions. Students were brought into a training room to work on soft skills, resumes, and interview tips while parents were given a presentation on manufacturing to better understand the high skilled and high-tech careers in manufacturing. To end the evening, we brought up a panel of student apprentices, young engineers, and HR directors for a Q&A. It was a different event than earlier open house events to talk with parents about viable manufacturing career pathways and students who need help on resumes and soft skills. Future plans are to hold a second event in late fall for 7-9th grade students to promote interest in the HS manufacturing programs.