10 Grants Awarded to Community and Technical Colleges offering Day Camp Experiences for Youth

ROCKFORD, ILL., March 12, 2012 – Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs^® (NBT), The Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl. (FMA), announces the winners of its 2012 manufacturing camp grant awards.

Ten grants of $1,500 to $2,500 each were awarded by NBT to community and technical colleges offering day camp experiences that introduce young people ages 12 to 18 to careers in manufacturing and engineering. Major sponsors of these camps are the CNA Foundation of Chicago, and San Francisco-based Corenet, Inc.

The 2012 grant winners (listed alphabetically by state) are:

• Arkansas State University, Beebe, Ark.
• Chabot College, Hayward, Calif.
• College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, Calif.
• Harper College, Palatine, Ill.
• Rock Valley College, Rockford, Ill.
• Triton College, River Forest, Ill.
• Itawamba Community College, Tupelo, Miss.
• Ogden-Weber Applied Technology College, Ogden, Utah
• Thomas Nelson Community College, Hampton, Va.
• Fox Valley Technical College, Appleton, Wis.
• Moraine Park Technical College, South Bend, Wis. (Affiliate only)

“Right now there is a demand for highly-skilled professionals who can design, program, and operate technology,” said Traci Tapani, NBT board chair and co-president of Wyoming Machine Inc., a metal fabrication services company in Stacy, Minn. “Creating a skilled workforce in the trades is vital to American manufacturing, and it all starts with introducing young people to the career potential in this sector and providing an engaging hands-on experience. Inspiring youth to consider these trades will have a positive effect on graduation rates, increase the chance for them to earn a living wage, and create a more qualified workforce in the participating communities,” Tapani added.

“We’re making an investment in the manufacturing workforce.  We need to increase the pool of available, highly skilled workers to address the skilled labor crisis as Baby Boomers retire. 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.

The camps target middle- and high school-aged youth, exposing them to math, science and engineering principles, and giving them opportunities to tour companies, work directly with technology, and design and manufacture a product to take home with them.

Supporting these camps with CAD/CAM student edition software donations are SolidWorks Corporation and Bob CAD-CAM, Inc. Testor Corporation will donate hobby kits that students will receive at the conclusion of camp to encourage them to continue with hands-on hobbies of their own.

Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs: The Foundation of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl., also issues scholarships to students attending community colleges and trade schools to pursue training leading to careers in manufacturing. More information on NBT is available by visiting www.NutsAndBoltsFoundation.org.

Based in Rockford, Ill., the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International, is a professional organization with more than 2,300 members working together to improve the metal forming and fabricating industry.

About CNA

CNA is the 7^th largest U.S. commercial insurer providing insurance protection to more than one million businesses and professionals around the world.  The CNA Foundation concentrates its support in programs designed to meet the education needs of children; assist and support children, youth and adults in developing vocational skills, and support economically disadvantaged children and families.

About Corenet, Inc.

CoreNet Global is the premier association for corporate real estate professionals. The northern California chapter of CoreNet supports the NBT camp program in the San Francisco Bay area.

About SolidWorks Corporation

SolidWorks Corporation, a Dassault Systèmes S.A. (Nasdaq: DASTY, Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA) company, develops and markets software for design, analysis, and product data management. It is the leading supplier of 3D CAD technology, providing intuitive, high-performing software that helps professionals design better products. Visit the company’s Web site at www.solidworks.com.

About Bob CAD-CAM, Inc.

Since 1985 Bob CAD-CAM, Inc. has been providing manufacturers with powerful and easy to use CNC programming CAD-CAM software from its world headquarters in Clearwater, Fla.  It provides CNC G & M Code for Mill, Lathe, Router, Water Jet, Laser, Plasma and Wire EDM machines. For current information, visit the company’s Web site (www.bobcad.com).

About the Testor Corporation

For over eighty years in Rockford, Ill. the Testor Corporation has been manufacturing inspiring products for hobby, craft, home decor, auto-touchup and nail color. Since 1929, the oval Testor logo has been associated with the quality and integrity of these creative products for building, educating, and decorating. Testor hobby finishing materials and accessories, plastic model kits, craft paints and supplies, airbrushes, auto touchup sprays and markers, and nail color products are sold world-wide, satisfying the demand for these fine products.  Testors…for Every Surface – Inspiration for Creative Minds. Learn more at www.testors.com.

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Contact
Patricia Lee
Public Relations Director
Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, International (FMA)
patl@fmanet.org

+1-815-227-8286