More than 135 middle and high school students visited campus to explore career pathways in manufacturing and related technologies.
Lawson State Community College recently welcomed over 135 local high school and middle school students to campus for Manufacturing Day, a hands-on introduction to careers in modern manufacturing and technical education. The day featured local industry partners, demonstrations and hands-on learning activities, and meaningful conversations between students, educators and employers.
"For high school seniors, there's life after graduation - they need a plan for what will happen next. Today was about giving them options and figuring out how Lawson State can be part of that," said Associate Dean of Career Technical Education, Erika McAlpin. She also emphasized the event's core message: students should understand there are additional opportunities and pathways beyond the traditional four-year college route.
Students had the chance to hear from industry leaders about their career journeys. Ms. McAlpin highlighted that one of the major takeaways of the day was the value of soft skills.
"Industry expects candidates who can hold a conversation, be personable with an employer during an interview. Employers do value soft skills - and that is part of the journey here at Lawson as well," she said.
For welding faculty member Alana Brown Willingham, it was a perfect time for recruiting - and reflecting.
"People call us every week looking for welders for their businesses," she said. "We can't graduate enough people to fill the need. This was probably one of our best Manufacturing Days ever as it also gave employers a chance to discuss how they can partner with us to hire students. From apprenticeships to the availability of jobs immediately after program completion, we were able to explore a lot of options."
Add Ms. McAlpin: "It's important to highlight the effort of faculty and staff to make events like this a success - more than CTE had to help and support us. That was critical," she noted.
Industry partners make the difference
Industry representatives shared how apprenticeships, dual-enrollment programs and
workforce pipelines function in the Central Alabama region. Several participating
local manufacturers played key roles in the event: Mercedes-Benz (in the robotics
and mechatronics area), US Steel, Favor Steel, and Gestamp (welding and machine tool),
the boilermakers union, and CMC Industrial Technologies. Logistics was also one of
the highlighted academic programs.
Nationally, Manufacturing Day is part of a broader initiative to shift perceptions of manufacturing and highlight the opportunities in high‑skill, high‑pay and high-tech careers.
According to the Manufacturing Institute, the observance "helps show the reality and future of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, educators and community leaders."
