Video: Summer Camp Goes High Tech

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BELDEN, Miss. (WCBI) -One summer camp is introducing students to the world of advanced manufacturing. As WCBI’s Allie Martin reports, sixteen students are spending a week visiting local businesses, trying out the latest technology and learning about possible future careers.

Before Monday, Reid Hardison had never used a welding machine.  Now, it’s his favorite part of the Tek2Go Camp.

“I want to be an engineer when I grow up so maybe manufacturing could help me get there.”

That is the point of the one week camp, to spark an interest in advanced manufacturing and to introduce middle school and high school students to possible careers.

“We want them to see the things that are occurring in advanced manufacturing field, like technology and mainly opportunities available for jobs in the future, all of the students one day will need and want a job.”

Tek2Go is a partnership between ICC, Hawkeye Industries and CDF. Sixteen students are in this year;s camp. They tour several companies, where they see first hand how technology is put to use.

Then, they come back to the ICC Belden campus, where their skills are tested. These students are working forklift and crane simulators in the Smart Lab.

“I was moving the crane to pick up the little cylinder thing and putting it on the truck, it was very hard, but I finally got it.”

Many advanced manufacturing jobs come with top pay, and organizers of Tek2Go are hopeful some of these campers will be part of the future workforce in Northeast Mississippi, In Belden Im Allie Martin WCBi News.
The Tek 2 Go camp wraps up Friday. The cost of the camp is covered through grants.