“When Mold Building Clicks.”
How do you get younger students excited about manufacturing? You let them see firsthand how fun and fascinating it is. On November 28, 2022, Accede Mold & Tool demonstrated their knowledge and passion for the industry by conducting a tour for local junior and senior high school students. Bob Coyne, Executive Director of Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association (RTMA), in conjunction with the Finger Lakes Youth Apprenticeship Program (FLYAP), helps to facilitate the next generation of manufacturing professionals. They accomplish this by connecting students to local companies such as ACCEDE for job shadowing and co-op opportunities. We were honored to be given the opportunity to present the exciting world of plastic injection mold building.
Leading the tour was Mitchell Fox, ACCEDE Lead Moldmaker. He expressed his enthusiasm by saying, “Events such as these are the first step to increasing awareness about mold building and, in turn, helping the skilled trade shortage.” The students began their evening with an in-depth discussion of the mold-building process. They then proceeded to tour ACCEDE’s engineering department, support, and manufacturing departments – all while gaining valuable knowledge.
Mitch understands this important opportunity for the students. Being a third-generation moldmaker, he was educated early on that manufacturing provides many possibilities. When asked what part of the evening he liked best, he indicated it was the last stop of the tour – the Sampling Department. “Students see all the information they were given come together. The students can visually put the pieces together; for them, it just clicks. You can see the excitement in their eyes. That gives me hope that there is viability to look at manufacturing as a career versus just a job.”