Dayton Progress Corp., Dayton, Ohio, created a competition aimed to promote awareness of careers in industrial manufacturing for students attending Dayton area high schools.

The Dayton Progress Manufacturing Challenge includes a prize package valued at more than $40,000, which will be awarded to the school with the most effective and creative program for promoting awareness of career opportunities in manufacturing. The winning school will receive state-of-the art manufacturing computer technology and scholarships for its students.

“Manufacturing is alive and well in the Dayton region, with 2,400 manufacturers employing more than 100,000 people,” said Alan Shaffer, president and CEO of Dayton Progress, one of the largest Dayton-area manufacturers. “While careers in manufacturing offer some of the highest paying of all jobs that do not require a college degree…unfortunately, they are also often not highlighted in either news media or by our secondary schools. That’s why we created this Challenge and Scholarship competition,” Shaffer says.

In addition to the main prize, four well-paid after-school internships will be offered to qualified senior year students from among the top three school districts participating in the contest. Each of the internships is expected to lead to full-time employment upon graduation. The interns will be trained for manufacturing careers by Dayton Progress.

Posted April 16