ROCKFORD, Ill., July 1, 2014 – Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs® (NBT), the Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl. has been awarding grants since 2004 to community and technical colleges that offer day camp experiences to introduce young people ages 12 to 16 to careers in manufacturing. This year three of the 24 camps funded by this program have been made possible by a partnership with Kelly Services®, a leader in providing workforce solutions. The Kelly Services sponsored camps will be conducted at Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Mich., July 7 – 11; Manchester Community College in Manchester, N.H., July 21-25; and Green River Community College in Auburn, Wash., Aug. 25-29.

Each camp received a grant from NBT made possible by a $4,000 gift from Kelly Services. In addition, the local Kelly office, in each city, will work directly with the camp director at the local college to assist in developing program elements related to manufacturing careers or to assist in planning tours of local manufacturers.

“The local Kelly teams are excited to be part of this program and have a hand in inspiring youth in the community to consider future careers in manufacturing”, said Gabrielle Caputo, Director, Commercial Product Services for Kelly Services. “In our industry we are very aware of how difficult it is in recruiting skilled young workers for manufacturing positions. Finding talent will continue to get more difficult each year as more and more Baby Boomers retire and fewer young people have any connection to manufacturing through traditional educational programs. We see these camps as one way to play an active role in reinvigorating a highly skilled young manufacturing workforce that is in demand.”
“Creating a skilled workforce in the manufacturing trades is vital to the American economy, and it all starts with introducing young people to the career potential in this sector and providing a practical, hands-on experience,” said Bryan Hawkins, NBT board chair and president/CEO of Hawkeye Industries, Inc. in Tupelo, Miss. “As a camp mentor for the past few years I see how these camp experiences open up doors that most of the participants never dreamed existed and provide them with inspiration about where future careers might be. We welcome the partnership with Kelly Services and look forward to working with them into the future,” Hawkins added.

The camps target middle- and high school-aged youth, exposing them to math, science and engineering principles, while providing them opportunities to tour local companies, work directly with manufacturing technology, and design and manufacture a product to they can keep.

“These camps provide youth with the exposure to vocational and technical trades that no longer exist in most public education systems. Introducing youth to well-paying, high-tech manufacturing careers will definitely improve future prospects for our economy,” said Edward Youdell, president & CEO of FMA and NBT. “We are grateful that a company like Kelly Services, with its deep commitment to solving the manufacturing skilled labor shortage, has recognized our NBT summer camp program as something that merits their support.”

About NBT & FMA
A complete list of the 2014 NBT Summer Manufacturing Camps, including local contact information, can be found at nutsandboltsfoundation.org/camps. Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs also issues scholarships to students attending community and technical colleges to pursue training leading to careers in manufacturing. More information is available by visiting nutsandboltsfoundation.org or facebook.com/mfgcamp. Based in Rockford, Ill., FMA is a professional organization with nearly 2,500 members working together to improve the metal processing, forming, and fabricating industry. Visit fmanet.org to learn more.
About Kelly Services

Kelly Services, Inc.
(NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a leader in providing workforce solutions. Kelly® offers a comprehensive array of outsourcing and consulting services as well as world-class staffing on a temporary, temporary-to-hire, and direct-hire basis. Serving clients around the globe, Kelly provides employment to more than 540,000 employees annually. Revenue in 2013 was $5.4 billion. Visit kellyservices.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

Patricia Lee​​​​
FMA​​​​​
(815) 227-8286​​​
patl@fmanet.org

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