SEKISUI KYDEX observes Manufacturing Day

SEKISUI KYDEX hosted over 150 local students for Manufacturing Day, a national event dedicated to education about manufacturing career opportunities and improving public perceptions of manufacturing. "It’s challenging for high school students to consider a future career path if they have never been introduced to a variety of options, and Manufacturing Day is that opportunity. This day gives students a glimpse into how a local company utilizes professionals who have obtained educational degrees from college, or have worked while the employer provided on-the-job skill development training, or have acquired trade skills learned during high school year programs. SEKISUI KYDEX provides examples of all of these opportunities through our workforce during hands-on demonstrations throughout our facility,” stated Sean Stabler, vice president of Innovation for SEKISUI KYDEX.

Students from Bloomsburg Area High School, Central Columbia Area High School, Benton Area High School, Southern Columbia Area High School, and Columbia-Montour Area Vocational-Technical School explored the varying career opportunities at SEKISUI KYDEX, which include inspector/packer, extrusion operators, quality technicians, color technicians, production engineers, automation engineers, appLab engineers, graphic designers, and more, such as traditional business support positions; enabling them to make a more informed decision about whether to pursue college, a technical program, or other post-college opportunities.

The program featured a company and careers overview, a campus tour to see how KYDEX Thermoplastics are made, and several workshops to understand the thermoplastics industry. Stabler continued, “This is an educational and fun day for the students, administrators, and our KYDEX team members.”

This year, students spent their day exploring how compelling polymer manufacturing can be throughout the various demonstration spaces set up around their Bloomsburg South Campus facility. Additionally, members of the Pennsylvania College of Technology (PCT) were present to provide career guidance and acquaint students with the resources and programs offered, including Penn College’s Advanced Manufacturing Pre-apprenticeship (AMP) and Workforce Development programs. These opportunities enable students to earn college credits while still in school without incurring costs.

The SEKISUI KYDEX appLab and designLab Innovation Centers are collaborative spaces for clients and customers to bring the supply chain together for rapid prototyping and design development. These spaces are the bridge between engineering and art.

In the appLab, students learned about and used state-of-the-art innovation and testing equipment. In the designLab, they explored color science by creating their own colors and testing their vision with a color acuity activity. Students were hands-on with safety by using a simulator to put out fires. They learned how to keep production running smoothly at the manufacturing station with extrusion parts, maintenance equipment, and an automation demonstration. Circular design rounded out the workshops where students learned about KYDEX Thermoplastics sustainability and using pattern, color, and texture work in design.

For a more in-depth look at careers at SEKISUI KYDEX, visit https://kydex.com/careers/.