Representatives from the manufacturing industry toured Benson High School’s Career Technical Education Programs, specifically in the areas of Automotive, Construction, Electrical and Manufacturing On Oct. 25 and Nov. 1, 2013.  The 40 professionals that visited all agreed that skilled employees are needed in the industry facing an aging workforce.  They also expressed their support for CTE and the need to grow and expand such programs for young people to be successful in and after high school.

From the visit, here were a few reactions/comments:

“It was an eye opening experience. I was very impressed with the students and their attitude towards their studies.”
-Gary DeVore | Senior Facilities Maint. Supervisor | Portland Parks & Recreation

“It is truly inspiring to see a secondary education system that challenges students to both think about their future role in society and provides them with the tools to work towards that goal.”
-Kyle von Hoetzendorff | Marketing | Chris King Precision Components

“I thought the students did a great job representing the school. They spoke with confidence and enthusiasm. I was especially impressed with your electrical/automation class.”
-Bruce Iredale | VP/GM Portland  | Evraz Oregon Steel a division of Evraz Inc. NA

Carol Campbell, Benson Principal, was pleased with the tremendous response from business partners to her invitation to tour the school.  Manufacturers expressed their willingness to offer their time in the classroom, host work-site tours, and offer internships.  “We look forward to working with all these companies to help them meet their future workforce needs and better prepare our students for family wage jobs.”