The Bosch Rexroth Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center at the Olympic Community of Schools in Charlotte, North Carolina provides experiences and information about STEM study and careers for students from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School District.
Their dedicated machine shop features metal-cutting and finishing technology, multiple lathes, milling machines, saws and grinders. It’s a veritable treasure trove for students who can’t always get their hands on these things.
If they could, more students would choose to go into manufacturing, we are sure.
A K-12 business alliance
Businesses and schools don’t connect and collaborate very often in the United States. Apprenticeships opportunities are rare and students often focus on tests and rote learning rather than real-world experiences.
The Center combines the efforts of many companies across the region. They are aware of the need for better STEM education because of the 7,500 unfilled manufacturing jobs in the area, according to the regional workforce development board Charlotte Works. They also report about 85,000 STEM-related unfilled jobs in the region.
The Skills Gap was worrying before the pandemic. Now, with labor shortages across the nation, is is even more essential to help students learn about careers in these areas.
“The strategic partnership between Bosch Rexroth and Olympic High School, represented by our ongoing support since the founding of the Advanced Manufacturing and Technology Center in 2015, demonstrates the critical importance we place on investing in these kinds of initiatives,” said Greg Gumbs, president & CEO of Bosch Rexroth North America. “A partnership between business and schools fosters economic and social mobility for youth, while simultaneously helping expand the local talent pool.”