“A healthy manufacturing environment in Indiana in large part determines the health of our state economically,” said Kim Ryan, president of Batesville Casket Company, at the Indiana Youth Institute Postsecondary Pathways event in Batesville last week. The Indiana Chamber was a co-sponsor.
Ryan enthusiastically encouraged educators in the room to share manufacturing opportunities with their students, and emphasized the importance of developing local talent in order for communities to keep critical employers. And she said employers play a large role in this effort by partnering with their local school system.
Batesville High School focuses on providing opportunities for students to learn outside the classroom with the help of local employers like Batesville Casket, Batesville Tool & Die and Heartwood Manufacturing. Students can take classes at Ivy Tech and then spend time learning with these local employers.
I toured Heartwood Manufacturing and was impressed by the diversity of the products they can produce and the quality. They have a staff of about 50, and they offer learning opportunities to students from Batesville High School. Students are able to create a product from beginning to end – from ordering the parts and understanding the financial side to putting it together. One student was even building a gun case!
Learn more about the participating businesses: