February Newsletter

by | Feb 6, 2020 | News

February Tour

WOTM toured Advanced Machine & Engineering Co. on February 3rd. Steve Schubert, Chief Operating Officer, provided the tour. We were amazed by the amount of square footage at the facility and the machine tool components and metal cutting systems manufactured and distributed. Most impressive is the Apprentice program AME offers in order to develop a strong workforce in house. Steve is an prime example of developing talent from within. He has been with the company for decades, starting in direct production, became the plant manager, has worked in business development, sales, and now oversees operations.
For more information on the program visit: www.ame.com/apprenticeship

New Website!

It’s good looking, functional, and secure!
Member, Crystal Van Vleet and her team at MakingChips offered their time and expertise to create a website that represents WOTM for who we are: a professional organization. We will be able to make updates more easily which will increase our communication, reach, and build more awareness of who we are and what we do.

Career Pathways Committee and Call for Volunteers

The career pathways committee is led by chair, Margo Barr-Kosier. Vice President, Beth Mead and Margo have been making strong connections in the region by attending career fairs and participating in other partnerships to reach younger women. Developing a strong manufacturing workforce for the future begins with educating students at even younger ages than ever before. They communicate and provide clear pathways to individuals of all ages that want to pursue meaningful careers in manufacturing.
The committee is in need of more volunteers to assist in advancing the goals of this committee – more specifically – there is a need for other members to attend the career pathways events to represent WOTM. If you are interested in learning more, please contact [email protected] so we can connect you to Margo and Beth.

Educational Programs Committee

The educational programs committee is led by chair, Meaghan Ziemba. This committee is targeted to manufacturing leaders and line workers, providing them with practical knowledge that empowers them to be on the cutting edge of their industry. This committee is responsible for organizing the monthly manufacturing tours and additional workshops offered throughout the year. If you are interested in learning more or would like WOTM to tour your facility, please contact [email protected] so we can connect you up with Meaghan.

Scholarship Committee

The scholarship committee is led by chair, Laurie Miller. The focus of this committee is to provide scholarships to individuals seeking to advance their skills in STEM and manufacturing-related fields. They raise funds by organizing two annual fundraising events; the Scholarship Dinner & Silent Auction and the Golf Outing. Additionally, we sponsor a number of robotics teams in the area. Raising money and organizing big events is no easy feat! If you are interested in learning more or would like to volunteer at scholarship expos, please contact [email protected] so we can connect you up with Laurie.
Fun Fact: WOTM has given $41,000 to 37 scholarship recipients since the inception of the program. For more comprehensive information, visit wotmrockford.com/what-we-do/scholarships/.

Whew! I told you I had a lot to discuss and share. My last ask is that you visit our social media pages (links below). Follow us, Like us, Share with your networks!

I’d love to hear from you all so we can discuss trends for women in manufacturing, issues you are seeing or experiencing, or ways we can connect with other partnerships.

Don’t hesitate to reach out. [email protected]

Thank you so much for your time and reading all the way through. Stay tuned as we highlight all the hard work of our volunteers and monthly updates.

Jaclyn Kolodziej

WOTM President