Student Video Contest Promotes Manufacturing Education

There’s usually a clear line between teacher and student, but that wasn’t the case for one recent effort to spread the word about manufacturing industry career opportunities. On April 14, participants in the “Manufacturing a Path to Success” video competition gathered to celebrate the conclusion of a contest that had high schoolers partner with local manufacturers to produce their own educational videos about the industry.  

The organization behind the contest is the Eastern Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (EAMA), a group of more than 40 manufacturers in Eastern Connecticut, South-Central Massachusetts and Northwest Rhode Island that aims to promote industry careers generally; strengthen the regional workforce; and enable members to advocate as a team for common interests. As we reported a few weeks ago while voting for the videos was still underway, each of 13 student teams made multiple visits to a local manufacturer to conceive and shoot their submissions. In the process, they learned about different job functions, the skills required to be successful in those jobs, and how various employees got into the profession. After editing and refining the message, the students were responsible for promoting the videos within their schools and local communities. Participating high schools included technical schools, middle colleges, regional and town-based schools.

The April 14 gathering culminated in a film festival, aptly dubbed the EAMY awards, at Quinebaug Valley Community College in Danielson, Connecticut. Students arrived in formal attire, and some were even treated to a limousine ride to the event by their manufacturing partner. Videos were screened and evaluated by a panel of judges from the manufacturing improvement, education and video production industries, and winners received various cash prizes and trophies.

“Manufacturing a Path to Success” is the second annual video competition hosted by EAMA, and it was even more successful than the first iteration, the organization reports. As a result, the organization will host a similar event next year for its members.

Here’s a list of this year’s winners (all submissions are available for viewing on the EAMA’s website): 

• Best Overall Video: Killingly High School & Web Industries
• Outstanding Videography: Putnam High School & Ensinger Precision Components
• Best Narration: Killingly High School & Web Industries
• Outstanding Educational Value: Plainfield High School & Westminster Tool
• Most Creative: Plainfield High School & Westminster Tool

Viewer’s Choice Awards                              

• 1st Place: Three Rivers Middle College & MPS Plastics
• 2nd Place: Woodstock Academy & Whitcraft
• 3rd Place: New London Science & Technology Magnet High School & Sound Manufacturing