PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURING ACADEMY 2022 CELEBRATES THE CLASS GRADUATION
SPOKANE VALLEY, WASHINGTON, USA – July 28, 2022
Thirty-three high local school students will graduate from the Production and Manufacturing Academy this Friday after spending three weeks in this interactive trades immersion experience. The students spent time with local area manufacturers with a goal of gaining an understanding of the trades and to explore potential future careers. The graduation ceremony will take place at 1 p.m., Friday, July 29 at East Valley High School.
The Production and Manufacturing Academy (PMA) was founded in 2019 to provide an opportunity for high school upperclassmen to explore careers in engineering, welding, machining, design and more. Started with a small manufacturing consortium, the academy has doubled in size in three years of operation. Lead by Wagstaff, Inc., Pearson Packaging Systems, Hanson Industries, Inc., Mackay Manufacturing, Kaiser Aluminum, and Idaho Central Credit Union, the academy consists of manufacturing and education entities that joined forces to actively address the ongoing shortage of skilled trade workers. The shared goal of each PMA sponsor was to coach the students in business planning, production, sales and marketing in the manufacturing world. In an effort to reach more students, this year the Academy was expanded to multiple locations.
The students will be selling their finished products at the sponsor companies’ facilities and on the Academy’s website. The products completed by the apprentices include the following:
Heirloom Chest - hand-crafted wooden storage chest.
Step 'n Sit Stool - solid easy-to-use folding step-stool.
Hole in One - a perfect cross between corn-hole and marble toss games.
Limited Edition Artisan Birdhouse - uniquely styled birdhouse.
Portable Checkerboard - handmade rustic gameboard.
The Griz Box - rustic, custom engraved decorative box.
Charcuterie Cutting Board - custom made with maple and cherry wood.
Standard Cutting Board - a smaller size version of the charcuterie board.
Students will also make presentations on their experiences at the graduation ceremony. Each student that completes the entirety of the training with perfect attendance will be awarded a certficate and a monetary stipend. The students will also be able to apply for scholarships that are funded by the PMA sponsors.
For information on the Academy and the Manufacturing Consortium, go to https://www.theproductionacademy.net/.
Premier Partners:
Wagstaff, Inc.
Pearson Packaging
Mackay Manufacturing
Hanson Industries, Inc.
Kaiser Aluminum
Idaho Central Credit Union
Machinists Institute
Anchor Partners:
Hotstart
Career Connect Washington
Greater Spokane, Inc.
Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce
KXLY
Academy Supporters & Community Partners
East Valley School District
West Valley School District
Newport High School, Newport WA
Kootenai Technical Education Campus
Cheney High School
Merkle Standard
Northwest Steel Fab Inc.
Unicep
Community Colleges of Spokane
Spokane Workforce Council
Altek Industries
Hawk Ridge Systems
Central Valley School District
Stimson Lumber
Media Contact:
Meng Yu
Wagstaff, Inc.
Phone: 509-891-8058
Email: meng.yu@wagstaff.com
Third Annual Production and Manufacturing Academy
SPOKANE VALLEY, WASHINGTON, USA – July 18, 2022
Wagstaff, Inc. and several local businesses and entities are welcoming 35 local high school students to a three-week interactive trades immersion experience starting Monday, July 11. During their training, the students will experience a real-world product cycle from start to finish, and gain experience to the inner workings of the trades. The academy will conclude with a graduation ceremony at the end of July.
The Production and Manufacturing Academy (PMA) was founded in 2019 to provide an opportunity for high school upperclassmen to explore careers in engineering, welding, machining, design and more. Started with a small manufacturing consortium, the academy has doubled in size in three years of operation. Lead by Wagstaff, Inc., Pearson Packaging Systems, Hanson Industries, Inc., Mackay Manufacturing, Kaiser Aluminum, and Idaho Central Credit Union, the academy consists of manufacturing and education entities that joined forces to actively address the ongoing shortage of skilled trade workers. The shared goal of each PMA sponsor was to coach the students in business planning, production, sales and marketing in the manufacturing world.
During the academy, students will be grouped into teams that design, create, manufacture and sell specific products. Students will experience every step of the manufacturing process, receive exclusive tours of several facilities, gain an understanding of the manufacturing world, and explore potential future careers. Students will also have the opportunity to job shadow with engineers, welders, designers, and other various professionals.
The student teams will make presentations on their products and experiences during their upcoming graduation ceremony. Each student that completes the entirety of the training with perfect attendance will be awarded a certficate and a monetary stipend. The students will also be able to apply for scholarships that are funded by the PMA sponsors.
For more information on the academy, go to https://www.wagstaff.com/Wagstaff/Careers.htm or https://www.theproductionacademy.net/. The following businesses and community partners are participating in this year’s PMA.
Premier Partners:
Wagstaff, Inc.
Pearson Packaging
Mackay Manufacturing
Hanson Industries
Kaiser Aluminum
Idaho Central Credit Union
Machinists Institute
Anchor Partners:
Hotstart
Career Connect Washington
Greater Spokane, Inc.
Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce
KXLY
Academy Supporters & Community Partners:
East Valley School District
West Valley School District
Newport High School, Newport WA
Kootenai Technical Education Campus (KTEC)
Cheney High School
Merkle Standard
Northwest Steel Fab Inc.
Unicep
Community Colleges of Spokane
Spokane Workforce Council
Altek Industries
Hawk Ridge Systems
Central Valley School District
Stimson Lumber
Media Contact
Meng Yu
Wagstaff, Inc.
meng.yu@wagstaff.com
509.891.8058
2ND PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURING ACADEMY
SPOKANE VALLEY, WASHINGTON, USA – July 9, 2021
Twenty high school students will begin the second manufacturing and technology interactive immersion starting Monday, July 12 and wrapping up with a graduation ceremony July 30. After spending three weeks with area manufacturers, students aim to gain an understanding of the trades and explore potential future careers.
The Production and Manufacturing Academy was founded in 2019 to provide an avenue for young people to get exposure to careers in the trades in the Spokane area. Lead by Wagstaff, Inc., Greater Spokane, Inc., East Valley School District, and the Spokane Workforce Council, a group of manufacturing and education entities joined forces to actively address the ongoing shortage of skilled workers in the trades.
The manufacturing and education community in the Spokane Valley pulled together to produce a program that allowed high school juniors and seniors to experience how a trades career could provide job satisfaction in the way of creativity, ingenuity, resourcefulness, and rewards through this 3-week academy. The students will be given a project in the first few days of the academy, followed by introduction to production scheduling, material supply chain, and quality. After the product design phase, production will then take place using shop machine tools and additive manufacturing. The final challenge will be a focused on marketing and selling the items designed and produced over the length of the course.
The first Academy was held in 2019 and immersed students with the wide-angle view of an engineering and production operation for the 20 students who graduated. The products completed by the apprentices included a mobile music amplifier, cutting boards, and bird houses. The students sold their finished products at the sponsor companies’ facilities and at East Valley High School. With only 36 hours’ notice, students were given the assignment to sell their products with only 2 hours of operations. The teams sold their inventory and raised $1,540 in revenue in 2 hours and ultimately raised $5,000. The proceeds were donated to the school districts for use in STEM education. Three students were awarded 2-year trade education scholarships, and all of the students earned a stipend and a diploma.
The Production and Manufacturing Academy was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, but is back in 2021 thanks to the supporters of organic growth in trades education and workforce development in the Spokane Area. For more information on the Academy or its supporters, go to the Careers page on wagstaff.com. For information on members of the Manufacturing Consortium, see the following websites:
Greater Spokane, Inc.
Kaiser Aluminum
Hanson Industries
Pearson Packaging
Mackay Manufacturing
Hotstart
Altek Industries
Unicep
Historic Flight
Hawk Ridge Systems
Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce
Career Connect Washington
Spokane Workforce Council
Community Colleges of Spokane
East Valley School District
West Valley School District
Wagstaff, Inc.
Media Contact
Heather Brandt
509.321.3178
Governor Inslee Spotlights Spokane Production and Manufacturing Academy Graduate
January 15, 2020
In his State of the State Address, Governor Jay Inslee not only touted the success of the Production and Manufacturing Academy, but honored the program’s top graduate, Olivia Perkins, with personal recognition and a seat in the gallery.
The Production and Manufacturing Academy is a consortium of manufacturing and education entities lead by Wagstaff, Inc, Greater Spokane, Inc., East Valley School District, and the Spokane Workforce Council to actively address the ongoing shortage of skilled workers in the trades.
The Academy is one of the success stories resulting from Washington’s innovative and life-changing Career Connect Learning initiative. The goal of the initiative is to involve business, labor, community colleges, universities, K-12, philanthropy, and local and state government to help people find new or meaningful careers through non-traditional paths.
Governor Inslee related how highschooler, Olivia Perkins, “joined the Production and Manufacturing Academy to get exposure to hands-on welding. She wanted to create and sell her own metal artwork. Because of her efforts, she received a full scholarship to Spokane Community College and will become a professional welder because of her academy experience.”
The Production and Manufacturing Academy is the successful result of collaboration between normally competing local manufacturing companies that recognize the need to encourage and develop a skilled workforce. The program introduces students to conceptual product design, prototyping, production scheduling, supply chain management, and quality control, followed by marketing and sales of their actual products.
The Production and Manufacturing Academy is planning a similar program in 2020. The Academy and its supporters are champions of organic growth in trades education and workforce development in the Spokane Area. Their goal is to continue to provide opportunities for young people to explore these fields.
Media Contact:
Turina McClelland
Wagstaff Marketing and Publications Manager
tm@wagstaff.com
509 981 5098
Business AfterSchool At Wagstaff, Inc.
SPOKANE VALLEY, WASHINGTON, USA – October 1, 2019
Business After School is a series of workshops sponsored by Greater Spokane, Inc. (GSI) and held by local business to give students in grades 6-12 experience in a variety of career environments. The workshops are presented by business professionals to help students explore career opportunities and get exposure to working in different employment options.
Wagstaff is hosting the first Busines AfterSchool event of the season with a variety of interactive stations, which include welding simulations, computer-aided drafting, (CAD), CNC machining, assembly, 3-D printing, and testing. In addition, Spokane Community College will be giving a presentation about options for education in the modern workforce.
More than 75 students attended the Business AfterSchool event in 2018. For 2019, the number of slots has increased to 150. Wagstaff’s vision is to educate youth about careers in manufacturing and engineering and recently successfully hosted the Production and Manufacturing Academy summer program where 20 junior and senior high school students graduated. This program offered a 4-week hands-on experience working with various aspects of production, manufacturing, engineering, and business, and provided four students with scholarships to two-year trades programs at local community colleges.
The Business AfterSchool workshop will be held at Wagstaff, Inc., October 8, from 3-5 p.m. Free t-shirts, food, and swag will be available to attendees.
For more information on the GSI Business AfterSchool program, go to https://greaterspokane.org/business-after-school/
To register for the Business AfterSchool event at Wagstaff, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/concept-to-production-manufacturing-business-afterschool-registration-70067314223
Media Contact
FIRST GRADUATES OF
PRODUCTION AND MANUFACTURING ACADEMY
SPOKANE VALLEY, WASHINGTON, USA – July 31, 2019
Twenty high school students will graduate from the first‐ever, Production and Manufacturing Academy this Friday after spending four weeks in this interactive trades immersion experience. The students spent time with local area manufacturers with a goal to gain an understanding of the trades and to explore potential future careers. The graduation ceremony will take place at 10 a.m., Friday, August 2 at East Valley High School.
The Production and Manufacturing Academy was founded this year to provide an avenue for young
people to gain exposure to careers in the trades within the Spokane area. Lead by Wagstaff, Inc., Greater Spokane, Inc., East Valley School District, and the Spokane Workforce Council, a group of manufacturing and education entities joined forces to actively address the ongoing shortage of skilled workers in the trades. Wade Larson, Director of Human Resources at Wagstaff emphasizes the importance of exposure to skilled trades, “There are numerous opportunities in the trades for good paying jobs that can provide steady employment that don’t require a 4‐year degree.”
The manufacturing and education community of Spokane Valley pulled together to produce a program that allowed high school juniors and seniors to experience what a trades career could provide in the way of creativity, ingenuity, resourcefulness, and reward. Over the course of the program, participating students were introduced to conceptual product design while working alongside design engineers. The students’ designs were then prototyped using 3‐D printing during an additive manufacturing session at local technology company, Quest Integration. To accomplish the output requirements set forth at the beginning of the program, students were broken into groups, which were then introduced to production
scheduling, material supply chain, and quality control. Finally, the students learned how to market and sell their products to potential customers.
The products completed by the apprentices included a mobile music amplifier, cutting boards, corn hole game boards, and bird houses. The students sold their finished products at the sponsor companies’ facilities and at East Valley High School. With only 36 hours’ notice, students were given the assignment to sell their products in only 2 hours of operation time. The teams sold their inventory and raised $1,540 in revenue in those 2 hours.
The Production and Manufacturing Academy is planning a similar program in 2020. The Academy and its supporters are champions of organic growth in trades education and workforce development in the Spokane Area. Their goal is to continue to provide opportunities for young people to explore these fields.
Students will make presentations on their experiences at the graduation ceremony. Representatives set to attend include officials from Governor Inslee's office, Representative McMorris Roger's office, local chambers, school districts, academy sponsors, GSI, and others throughout the community.
For information on the Academy and the Manufacturing Consortium, see
wagstaff.com/Wagstaff/Careers/Internship.htm
Greater Spokane, Inc.
East Valley School District
Spokane Workforce Council
Pyrotek, Inc.
Mackay Manufacturing
Altek, Inc.
Unicep
Quest Integration
Hotstart
Spokane Public Schools
Central Valley School District
West Valley School District
Freeman School District
Media Contact
Turina McClelland
Wagstaff, Inc.
tm@wagstaff.com
509 981 5098
Wagstaff Named Finalist for State Award
WAGSTAFF NOMINATED FOR EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR
SPOKANE VALLEY, WASHINGTON, USA, November 20, 2018 - Wagstaff, Inc., was recently named a finalist for the “Employer of the Year” award, a distinguished recognition of a Washington State business who has implemented innovative job retention, creation, benefits, and compensation plans that foster a thriving work environment. The awards are presented by the Association of Washington Business, and the winners will be announced the Annual Evening of Excellence, November 28 in Seattle.
With more than 400 employees worldwide, Wagstaff strives to be an employer of choice in the Spokane area, in Washington State, and in the global aluminum industry. This is done through new programs recently implemented to bolster the employee experience at the company. These programs include options for employee health insurance, financial and physical wellness, continuing education, professional development, and community involvement.
The employee wellness program includes incentives to help employees make healthy choices in lifestyle such as stress management and regular exercise. An all-new onsite gym with treadmills, stair climbers, cycles, and weightlifting equipment was added in 2016. The company hired a professional personal trainer and offers incentives to participate in onsite fitness classes. Employees can reduce their healthcare costs by reporting workouts, engaging in wellness activities, and improving personal biometrics. This program has contributed to the overall health of the company by lowering employee and employer costs and by increasing the wellbeing of employees.
Wagstaff has been a long supporter of manufacturing careers at its plants in Spokane Valley, Washington and Hebron, Kentucky. Partnerships with local skills centers and high schools have begun an ongoing conversation in the community around careers in Manufacturing and STEM. Good careers are available in the manufacturing sector, and Wagstaff is making youth awareness and preparation for these careers a priority by hosting open houses, sponsoring events and facilitating Wagstaff manufacturing specialists to participate in local education at the high school and college levels.
A high-quality manufacturing and STEM workforce is vital to Washington State and to the Spokane and surrounding areas and is a priority for Wagstaff, Inc. It takes a multi-faceted strategy to deliver high-tech, industrial systems to customers in 58 countries from Spokane, Washington, and a cornerstone to that strategy is the people of Wagstaff. Wagstaff is fully committed to working alongside the local community on workforce development and education efforts, and will continually strive to create an exceptional employee experience.
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Media Contact
Turina McClelland
Marketing and Publications Manager
1 509 891 8058
info@wagstaff.com
About Wagstaff – www.wagstaff.com
Wagstaff, Inc. is a 72-year-old, family company that builds custom industrial equipment for aluminum producers. Wagstaff’s core business provides customized, advanced systems to companies around the world who transform molten aluminum into solid shapes for further processing into everyday products such as cans, foil, and airplane bodies. Wagstaff offers casting machines, mold systems, process automation, molds, auxiliary equipment and technical service and support to all sizes of aluminum casting operations.
About the Association of Washington Business – www.awb.org
Formed in 1904, the Association of Washington Business is Washington’s oldest and largest statewide business association, and includes nearly 7,000 members representing 700,000 employees. AWB serves as both the state’s chamber of commerce and the manufacturing and technology association. While its membership includes major employers like Boeing, Microsoft and Weyerhaeuser, more than 90 percent of AWB members employ fewer than 100 people. More than half of AWB’s members employ fewer than 10. For more about AWB, visit www.awb.org.
Wagstaff Makes Moves to Increase Manufacturing Efficiency
Spokane, Washington USA, February 23, 2018 - The recent purchase of a high-speed, advanced machining center is one piece of Wagstaff’s efforts to increase productivity and efficiency in its 170,000 square-foot manufacturing center in Spokane Valley, Washington.
Wagstaff’s goal to streamline machining processes prompted research into the latest capabilities of today's high-performing machine centers. That research lead the manufacturing team to the advanced five-axis machining centers built by H & H Machine Tools in Campbellfield, Australia. H & H is recognized by a number of industries as a leader in machine technology and is capable of large-format, heavy jobs as well as precision accuracy in highly-engineered products.
To maximize efficiency in operations, Wagstaff chose an H & H ULTRA5, featuring high torque motor spindles, a large Z axis for taller jobs, and custom features suited to augment the current capabilities of Wagstaff’s manufacturing facilities. Wagstaff plans to use this machine to manufacture aluminum casting molds as well as custom machining jobs.
Scott Johnson, Wagstaff’s Manufacturing Director explains, “This machine will eliminate hours of part setup and manual finishing time for every job. Compared to our current CNC machining capabilities, this has the potential to perform at least 1/3 faster.”
Wagstaff is constructing the foundation at its Spokane Valley manufacturing center for the anticipated delivery of the H & H ULTRA5. The ULTRA5 is expected to be brought online this summer.
About H & H Machine Tools - www.h-h.com.au/
H&H is an innovative engineering company that specializes in the design, engineering, manufacturing and marketing internationally of five-axis gantry milling machines.
- H & H has developed processes that represent an optimal solution for industries in aerospace, defense, precision engineering, transport, medical, and mold/die, with their high quality standards.
- H & H’s focus is on customer requirements and working to customer specification.
- H & H is recognized by aerospace companies with its leading edge technology.
About Wagstaff, Inc. – www.wagstaff.com
Wagstaff, Inc. is a 71-year-old technology and manufacturing company that provides customized, advanced aluminum direct-chill (DC) solidification solutions to rolling ingot and extrusion billet producers worldwide. Wagstaff offers casting machines, mold systems, process automation, rolling ingot tooling, extrusion billet tooling, auxiliary equipment and technical service and support to all sizes of DC aluminum casting operations in 58 countries around the globe.
For more information:
Turina McClelland
Wagstaff, Inc.
tm@wagstaff.com
509 891 8058
2017 Best Places to Work Inland Northwest
For the second consecutive year, Wagstaff, Inc. was named as one of the Best Places to Work Inland Northwest. The 2017 list of the Best Places to Work Inland Northwest was created by the Journal of Business and Best Companies Group.
This survey and awards program was designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best employers in the Inland Northwest, benefiting the region’s economy, workforce, and businesses.
To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:
- Be a for-profit, not-for-profit business or government entity
- Be a publicly or privately held business
- Have a facility in the Inland Northwest region (Spokane, Pend Oreille, and Stevens counties in
Washington State; and Kootenai and Bonner counties in Idaho.)
- Have a minimum of 15 full-time or part-time employees working in the Inland Northwest
- Be in business a minimum of 1 year
Companies from across the region entered the two-part survey process to determine the Best Places to Work Inland Northwest. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company's workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. The combined scores determined the top companies and the final ranking. Best Companies Group managed the overall registration and survey process, analyzed the data, and determined the final rankings.
The list-making companies will be honored at an awards ceremony on October 5 at the Spokane convention center, and the rankings will be published in the September 28th issue of the Journal of Business.
For more information on the Best Places to Work Inland Northwest program, visit www.BestPlacestoWorkINW.com
For more information on Wagstaff Products and Services, go to www.wagstaff.com
To learn more about Wagstaff Applied Technologies division, go to www.wagstaffat.com