DMI Companies hosted the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh and the Consortium for Public Education on September 25, alongside educators from Fayette, Washington, and Greene County schools, at our Charleroi and Monongahela, Pennsylvania, facilities.
This event, the first of four in their Global Learning for a Local Workforce program, provided the teachers, guidance counselors, and superintendents in attendance with solutions they can bring back to their students for career-connected learning and to engage students with the endless career possibilities of their future.
Attendees began the day in our Charleroi headquarters’ Bradford Training Center, listening to a brief presentation by the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh’s Youth Programming Manager Alicia Cagle. During this presentation, Workforce Development Manager Katie Hager informed them about DMI’s operations, initiatives, sustainability efforts, career pathways, and more.
The attendees were bussed to our Monongahela manufacturing facility and were treated to a comprehensive two-hour tour. The first stop on the tour was the mix room, where Erik Dillen discussed how we are using process improvement and automation to make workers’ jobs safer and easier while adding value for our customers and reducing our waste stream.
Next, they visited maintenance, where Maintenance Crew Leader Dave Rausch discussed the variety of maintenance roles DMI has to offer, including mechanic, electrician, welder, and machinist, as well as the skills required to succeed in these positions.
On their way to Building 2, Sustainability & Environmental Compliance Specialist Ed Hart discussed multiple sustainability initiatives, including weather stations that are collecting data as part of DMI’s pathway to installing renewable energy solutions, such as wind and solar power.
In Building 2, attendees saw the GSI elbow machine, talked to Laser Coordinator Eric Kostelac about the laser, and received an Aire Technologies fire/smoke damper demo by ATI Crew Leader Tom Dunay while learning about the skills required for entry-level assembly positions.
Lastly, they met with Procurement Manager Ashley Clawson to talk about DMI’s approach to supply chain issues and changes.
Throughout the tour, educators also heard from several DMI employees regarding their career path at DMI and what they wished they had learned in high school. Special thanks to Bruce Ellsworth (Automation Engineering Manager), Brock Wojichowski (Maintenance Technician in Training), and Colton Smith (Maintenance Technical Support) for sharing their stories with the attendees.
Once they were done with the factory tour, they returned to Charleroi for lunch and future readiness and global learning brainstorming activities that will allow them to apply this knowledge in the classroom to prepare students for their future.
Thank you to the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh & the Consortium of Public Education for organizing this insightful event! Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, and programs like this allow educators to help them thrive and become our next-generation workforce.
