Nixa Nixa Junior Junior High High students students were
were
among students across the state
of Missouri to take part in “Manufacturing
Day,” a nationwide event
meant to showcase modern manufacturing
and encourage more
people to consider manufacturing
as a career. Students had the opportunity
to take part of their day
and tour Diversified Plastics Corp.
Manufacturing Day is a program
of the National Association of
Manufacturers and was started in
2012. Last year, 595,341 people
participated in Manufacturing Day
nationwide, including 267,607 students.
A survey of those students
showed that the program has a
powerful impact.
Local Nixa companies feel it is
important to be a part of this event.
“I don’t think kids understand the
jobs that might be available to them
in the manufacturing field. Missouri’s
school system, especially Nixa, is producing
quality educated people. Our
business, as well as other manufacturing
business, can greatly benefit
from this talent pool by utilizing
people from home by making them
realize that there are quality opportunities
right in their own backyards,”
Rance Recla of Diversified Plastics
Corporation said.
The Nixa Chamber of Commerce
director agrees.
“The goal of having Nixa students
participate in the statewide Manufacturing
Day is to forge those partnerships
between our local manufacturing
industries, Nixa Schools and
the Chamber allowing students to
experience other career opportunities
in the many different sectors of
the manufacturing industry. These
programs help develop our future
workforce for Nixa as well,” Chris
Russell, executive director of the
Nixa Chamber of Commerce said.
“I grew up in Nixa and drove by
Diversified every day. I assumed
they made plastics because of the
6 THE NEST NIXA PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAGAZINE FALL 2018