WHATS SO COOL ABOUT MANUFACTURING BERKS SCHUYLKILL·FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2019
Record Breaking Vote Tally for Student Videos
Over 1,000 people attended the Berks Schuylkill “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” (WSCM) awards ceremony on March 5. The ceremony was held at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel in Reading, Pa. WSCM was created by Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) and teaming partners Berks Business Education Coalition, eMediaWorks, Sahl Communications, and EmpowerStar Marketing. This year’s teams received 151,601 votes over a three-day voting period, breaking all previous years records.
The video that received the most votes earned the achievement of the “Viewers Choice Award.” The videos were also reviewed by a panel of judges for awards in ten other categories, including “Outstanding Creativity”, “Outstanding Team Spirit.” and “Outstanding Career Pathway.”
Presented by Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC), the Student Video Contest: “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” (WSCM) gives students in Berks and Schuylkill Counties the opportunity to network with local manufacturers as well as gain new perspectives, record their experiences and present them in an educational and “cool” way through documentary video production. The contest was created to generate excitement that draws students towards considering manufacturing career paths to create a 21st century workforce.
“Since October, the student teams and teachers have put an exceptional amount of work into this contest – meeting with manufacturers, filming and editing their projects,” says Jack Pfunder, President & CEO of Manufacturers Resource Center. “The growing success of this program across the state of Pennsylvania, and the country, validates its design, which is to raise awareness for manufacturing career opportunities for our students by letting them discover and explore the field. Viewing and voting their videos online and feeling the pay-off of their hard work supports not only the students, but their schools and manufacturing in the region.”
This year’s awards are as follows:
For more information regarding the “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” Student Video Contest, visit www.whatssocool.org Facebook.com/WSCMBerksSchuylkilland Twitter.com/WSCMBerksSchuyl.
About “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?”™:
Developed by Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC), the WSCM program is a video based educational tool that increases awareness of career paths in manufacturing. MRC developed this innovative career awareness program which at its core is “peer marketing” (kids telling kids what’s so cool about manufacturing jobs). The contest is showcased on the What’s So Cool Website, https://www.whatssocool.org and shared nationally through the Manufacturing Institute and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership platforms. The contest is expanding across the Commonwealth and the country. Inside Pennsylvania there will be 15 regions conducting contests this year. This contest gives students the opportunity to connect with local manufacturers, document their experiences and present them in an educational and “cool” way. The contest was created to generate excitement that draws students towards manufacturing career paths and STEM education.
About Manufacturers Resource Center:
For nearly 30 years, Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) has helped small and mid-sized manufacturers become more competitive, adopt lean and agile processes, strategically grow their companies and invest more effectively in their existing human capital. MRC is a nonprofit organization partially funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s NIST-MEP program, as well as the State of Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development. MRC is dedicated to creating jobs and economic opportunity in eastern Pennsylvania’s Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties.