Hamilton Community Schools’ 7th Grade Manufacturing Day returned October 15, giving students a chance to meet local professionals, try hands-on activities and explore the work happening at businesses in their community.

The district has offered the experience for years to help students begin thinking about their futures. The goal isn’t to steer every student toward the same career. It’s to help them discover what different jobs involve—and what kinds of work might be a good fit for them.

At Overisel Reformed Church, students rotated through nine stations, meeting professionals from Transmatic, Haworth, Royal Technologies, Artiflex Manufacturing, Morrison Industrial Equipment, Thermotron, Sebright Products and Parker Hannifin. Mrs. Ashley Meyer led a team activity where students designed and built with blocks, putting their creativity and problem-solving skills to work.

At the Haworth station, students learned about furniture design and the materials that go into it. “We’re learning about the different wood they use, different matching of fabrics, colors, what’s a mistake, what’s not,” said Connor, a seventh grader.

Students also visited two of three area businesses: Tiara Yachts, Fogg Filler and Koops. At Tiara Yachts, Training Specialist Frank Bocanegra talked with students about the company and what it looks for in employees before leading a tour of the facility, where yachts are built in-house.

“We like to bring people in. It’s good to show the community and students what we’re doing. A lot of people don’t realize how much goes into it and the coolness of what we’re doing here at Tiara,” Bocanegra said. “I think it’s really cool what Hamilton is doing and how they’re showing them the different opportunities before they get to a working age.”

For Harper, Tiara Yachts was a highlight. “We saw how they actually make the boats,” she said. “They said it’s like a shoe box. It’s like three big steps and their mindset to how they build the boat.” Tenley was surprised to learn how much of the process happens at the company. “I had no idea Tiara Yachts did things that way. They do everything from scratch.”

The three possible visits offered students a look at different kinds of manufacturing. Tiara Yachts builds American-made boats in Holland; Fogg Filler makes bottle rinsing, filling and capping equipment; and Koops designs and builds custom factory automation systems.

The day also highlighted the many career paths that keep manufacturing and local businesses running. Steve Hankinson, an industrial technician with Forklifts of Michigan, encouraged students to consider careers that involve working with their hands and minds.

“We are here today to introduce the kids to the future of trades and get kids intrigued about using their hands, using their minds, just being prepared for a future in a workforce that is in high demand,” Hankinson said. “There’s a need for mechanics, trades—it doesn’t matter if you’re industrial technicians, electricians, plumbers. This is a big trade that is overlooked when it comes to hiring in education for the youth.”

Hankinson noted that students can learn on the job through an employer and that skilled trades offer work communities will continue to need.

“Trades are one of those jobs that never go away. Who doesn’t go away? Repairmen, technicians, plumbers.”

He also praised the district for connecting students with local employers. “In Hamilton, it’s great to get into the smaller communities. The trades are really important in small towns like this—manufacturing, keeping equipment up to date. It’s very important that the kids see this and see that we work in a community of manufacturing.”

Students said the experience helped them imagine possibilities for their own futures. Connor said he enjoys “engineering and building and different kinds of tools,” and appreciated learning about careers, tools and materials. “Hamilton is preparing us by showing us different careers, engineering, different tools, building things using different materials,” he said.

Sadie appreciated the chance to learn beyond the classroom. “The cool part about today is that we can learn about other experiences and learn about important things in life and gain life experience and jobs we might do someday.”

Chloe said she liked exploring different kinds of work and figuring out what she enjoys. “If you want to do something different, you get to learn what you like and what you don’t like—hands-on, computer stuff, anything else,” she said. Her favorite part was “doing the stations, using the building blocks.”

By connecting students with professionals, workplaces and hands-on challenges, Manufacturing Day gives seventh graders an early opportunity to explore what’s possible—and to start preparing for a purpose that fits them.

Thank you to the businesses who took the time to work with our students!

• Transmatic

• Haworth

• Royal Technologies

• Artiflex Manufacturing

• Morrison Industrial Equipment

• Fork Lifts of Michigan

• Thermotron

• Sebright Products

• Parker Hannifin

• Tiara Yachts

• Fogg Filler

• Koops