Twelve Area Students Receive Awards at TMA District 214 Career Fair

Posted May 19, 2014 11:00 pm

Scott McPherson

(Park Ridge, IL)- On May 14th, the Technology & Manufacturing Association of Illinois (TMA) hosted the 1st Annual TMA & District 214 Career Fair and Awards Ceremony. A dozen TMA member companies, plus TMA Board Members Todd Beauchamp, Fernando Ortiz and Karen Trzaska, were on hand to meet with the students and accept their resumes for jobs and internships. Following the Career Fair, eight students from Wheeling High and four students from Elk Grove High School received the TMA Junior Related Theory Certificate based on their manufacturing activities.

TMA Chairman Brian Panek presented the awards along with Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10). "There are literally thousands of unfilled jobs in the Chicago area, but there is a skills gap as generations before retire," said Chairman Panek. "If you stay on the (manufacturing) path, you will not be disappointed," he added. Rep. Schneider stated "an education in manufacturing does open doors. There are opportunities and the U.S. is still the leading manufacturer in the world."

Among the award winners was Wheeling High School Junior Naomi Carmeli-Shabtay. "I've been interested in engineering for a long time. From a very young age I was always taking things apart and putting them back together," she said. "My dream job would be in mechatronics or robotics."

TMA Member Daniel Zeman of Zeman Manufacturing summed things up, "If you can draw it, you can make it. In every direction, manufacturing sees new frontiers in front of it."

About TMA: 8 small manufacturing companies who thought they could better themselves by associating with one another founded TMA in 1925. Through the years, members established programs and services that would help their businesses grow and prosper, train their employees, and provide medical and retirement benefits. As a result of these efforts, TMA has grown into an almost 1,000 member not-for-profit organization representing more than 30,000 employees of precision manufacturing and supplier companies throughout Illinois.

TMA Contact: Kristi McCotter (847-825-1120 or kmccotter@tmaillinois.com)

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