Students at the Broken Arrow Freshman Academy spent a recent lesson building structures from gumdrops and dried spaghetti, an exercise meant to give them a taste of what working in manufacturing is really like.
The event grew out of a collaboration between the school and the Broken Arrow Economic Development Corporation. The organization invited local manufacturers onto campus to meet students at an age when many start thinking seriously about their futures.
Deandre Fahie, a representative of the Economic Development Corporation, pointed to the scale of the local industry. "There's a lot of manufacturing that takes place in Broken Arrow. We've got over 300 different manufacturing companies in Broken Arrow alone," Fahie said.
Organizers said the building challenge was about more than fun. It was designed to highlight one of the most important skills in the field. "The biggest thing is collaboration," said Christopher Morgan of Boeing, one of the participating manufacturers.
The careers tied to manufacturing in Broken Arrow are varied. They include welding, plumbing and HVAC, as well as aerospace, engineering, sales, marketing and accounting. That breadth challenges the notion that manufacturing means only working on an assembly line.
Fahie said the industry is growing and that early awareness matters. "The industry is booming and so it's important for these young people to know about the disciplines and opportunities that are out there," he said. "The younger that kids know about these opportunities and understand how to get to them, the better chance they have to pursue those and have a great career."
Organizers also stressed that a four-year college degree is not the only route into the field. Fahie said some employers offer to pay for further education after a period of work. "Oftentimes an employer will say, 'You come work in our shop for a year, and then we will pay for you to go back to school and get a degree in engineering or to get a specific certificate that we are looking for.' So both paths are an option for students," he said.
For students, the day offered a fresh view of an industry some had not thought much about. Jamasia Malina, a student at the academy, said seeing the real-world side of manufacturing can shift perceptions. "It could seem boring, but it's a really interesting and important thing," Malina said.
The manufacturers hope the visit helps their future hiring. "We're just grateful that we can come and share our experiences, so maybe we can get a couple more people when they graduate from their school and they want to come in and join our family," Morgan said.
