MiCareerQuest 2018
Thousands of students, a variety of hands-on activities, and numerous employers … OH MY! Picture this: The lobby of DeVos Performance Hall in downtown Grand Rapids is full of over 10,000 students talking, laughing, and excited for what they are about to experience. When they walk into the exhibit hall they will be greeted by numerous employers within four major industries: advanced manufacturing, health sciences, construction, and information technology. What is this crazy, fun, knowledge packed event called you may ask? It’s MiCareerQuest!
MiCareer Quest is not your normal career fair. This is a hands-on experience that allows middle and high school students to create curiosity and excitement for their potential future in one of these awesome and successful industries. Lead by volunteers, the students are allowed 25 minutes in each section visiting the different booths and engaging with employers.
DeWys Manufacturing partnered with the Kent Intermediate School District this year. Students and educators that stopped by our booth experienced numerous aspects of the manufacturing field. The students assembled brush bots by gluing a toothbrush to the bottom of a battery, then taking the motor and placing the positive and negative (one on each side) to the battery, then use a rubber band over it to hold the motor in place. Once everything was assembled correctly the battery caused a vibration. The students could then race their brush bot against their peer’s, tracking to see who’s was the fastest!
From there the students could sit at a computer and learn about CAD designing and even got to use the software. If that wasn’t enough, they could then go on to program a robotic arm and as a take away they got to keep a glow in the dark 3D printed item from KCTC.
This was DeWys’ fourth year participating with MiCareerQuest, and it is made evident every year how important this event is to the W Michigan area. As an employer in the skilled trades industry, we know how big the demand is and will continue to be for manufacturing positions. If at the end of the day we helped change one students perception of manufacturing and they will be considering it for a future career, then we have done our job! Contact us if you are interested in more information on the MiCareerQuest Event!