EFFINGHAM — Today’s high school graduates have opportunities for manufacturing 工作, and tours on Thursday brought the students up close to 工作 in their neighborhood.

During the annual Effingham County Manufacturing Day, area high school students 太k a look at how assembly, 技术, 自动化, welding and other trades can land a recent graduate a job right here close to home.

Twelve local manufacturers hosted student tours along with their adult chaperones to places such as Sherwin Williams, Versatech, 史蒂文斯的行业, 纽约鼓风机公司.， Siemer Milling, Quad Graphics, John Boos & Co., Three Z Printing, Waupaca铸造, Kingery Printing, Mette’s Cabinet Corner and Pyramid Marble.

布莱恩Colwell, area director of distribution at Sherwin Williams, said that the company has been offering employment to the area for 33 years in its distribution center.

“We ship over a billion pounds of freight – that’s billion with a ‘b’ – every year out of this facility. 这是一个巨大的产品，”科尔威尔说.

该设施自1986年以来一直开放. 以前是费德斯的旧仓库. Some employees have been on the job since day one, Colwell said. 随着时间的推移, 自动化 and robots have helped with moving some of the heavier products that once was all done by strictly manual labor.

He said the complex provides 工作 for about 572 full-time team members, 包括办公室, 卡车司机和仓库工人. There are several buildings within the complex, which encompasses 1.200万平方英尺的屋顶下.

“This is the largest distribution center that Sherwin Williams has anywhere,” said Colwell. “埃芬厄姆可能不是一个大城市, but we do have a pretty big operation that serves all of the Midwest stores.”

特拉维斯Goeckner, a trainer and warehouse technician at Sherwin Williams, handled one tour and showed the students how “the pickers” collect the product orders, wrap the skid of product and stage it for distribution, 在运出之前.

金正日琼斯, Sherwin Williams的机器人经理, told the students that robots keep people safe on the job.

“The pail robot takes about 160,000 pounds per shift,” said Jones. “These buckets weigh anywhere between 50 and 70 pounds. 当我们使用自动化时, 我们保护人类免受伤害, because lifting this much weight everyday and putting it on a pallet can be very difficult.”

Jones said that the 技术 was installed in 2006 and it is the “fun side” of the job. 它被认为是一个老机器人, but there are plans to bring new 技术 into the plant in the future.

约瑟夫·德宾(Joseph Durbin)是圣. 埃尔莫高中, has an interest in mechanics and inquired during the tour at Sherwin Williams about that kind of work.

“我喜欢机械师，”德宾说. “I was planning on going into the military in mechanics. 但是，人会变的，所以谁知道呢.”

Durbin said “the mechanics of the robots were kind of neat.”

罗宾拦, 阿尔塔蒙特高中的指导顾问, said Manufacturing Day is valuable for students because it is an experience they can’t get on a normal day.

“I feel that everywhere I’ve been on these tours, 安全一直是他们的首要任务, not just for their employees but for all of us coming through, 太.”

Elam said the students typically say walking into these manufacturing sites is an eye-opener and not what they were expecting. She said students are surprised to learn the number of job opportunities in manufacturing are greater than they expected and the conditions are cleaner and with more computers and 技术.

At the New York Blower Company, the tour involved a lot of welding and machinist work. Trades learned here can be transferred to other job sites, 格伦·托德说, 人力资源总监.

“一旦你找到了工作, 准时到达那里, 每天都在那里, 尽你最大的努力工作,托德说。.

托德说，NYB自2002年以来一直在埃芬厄姆. 它在埃芬厄姆有大约100名员工. 全公司有450名员工. 这家公司已经存在了130年. NYB offers assembly work, welding and machine operating positions.

詹姆斯•史密斯, 纽约银行的人力资源经理, encouraged students with an interest in welding to learn on the job at his company, 在工厂的其他地方开始工作之后.

“基本上, you get on the job and someone shows you the basics and you start practicing until you get good at it,史密斯说。.

本Ruholl, 激光操作符, demonstrated how the equipment cuts out parts for fans out of large sheets of steel. 他说他每天要处理60张床单.

Ryan Repking teaches small engine automotive and history classes at 迪特里希高中. He worked at an auto dealership in autobody and paint and said from that experience he saw how difficult it was to find employees.

“We want to see some kids get interested in auto 技术 industry,” said Repking. “We started this course because Effingham County is dying for people to go into automotive industry. Some kids don’t want to go to a four-year university. We want to give them an opportunity to experience things like this.”

Ivan Angel, a senior at 艾芬汉高中, called the Manufacturing Day opportunity a good one.

“I just wanted to see what job opportunities there are,” said Angel. “我对焊接很感兴趣.”

近300名学生, teachers and counselors from 15 area schools participated in the event, along with volunteers from the business 社区 and Lake Land College. Participating schools were Altamont High School, Aspire另类学校, 比彻市高中, 布朗斯敦高中, 坎伯兰高中, 迪特里希高中, 艾芬汉高中, 新方法另类学校, 北克莱高中, 替代学校, 圣安东尼高中, St. 埃尔莫高中, Stewardson-Strasburg High School, Teutopolis High School and Windsor High School. The event was hosted by the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce.