Area students explored Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics during the annual Manufacturing Day at Vermeer Corporation Friday. Vermeer Chair Mary Andringa says more than 600 students from local schools spent more than an hour participating in hands on activities relating to the possibilities available in manufacturing. Andringa says Vermeer employees taught students in small groups and guided them through the displays highlighting the STEAM fields.

“It’s just great fun to see the engagement of these young students–6th and 9th graders from area schools, who are getting engaged in paint, weld, simulations, fire extinguisher, coding robots, a virtual reality simulator, or learning about cyber-security–I mean, there are so many good things that are happening in manufacturing today,” she says. “We’re so happy to share that with young students, because we hope they think about the multiple kinds of careers there are in manufacturing and in the state of Iowa.”

The event came back to the corporation this fall after skipping 2018 due to reorganization along the Vermeer Mile following the July tornado. Hear from local students participating in the Manufacturing Day festivities on Tuesday’s Let’s Talk Pella.