Westfield Steel Hosts Hardworking Sheridan Students
For the second summer in a row, Westfield Steel was happy to welcome local students to our headquarters and production floor to show the next generation what goes into fabricating high-quality steel and the opportunities there are for a career in the field.
Through its summer youth employment program, the Sheridan Youth Assistance Program (SYAP) gives local students a chance to spend part of their summers working with various organizations while discovering new types of future jobs and career fields they may be interested in pursuing.
“It’s a real learn-and-earn opportunity,” program director Lisa Samuels said. “There’s limited youth employment availability in Sheridan, so this program is a great opportunity for our students to have a summer job. They learn about careers and different businesses, and we go to local non-profits to help with jobs they need done. The students earn an hourly wage and learn some great basic job skills and life skills.”
Twelve Sheridan High School students were part of this year’s group to come to spend a morning at Westfield Steel Tuesday, July 18—and it was a family affair for Westfield Steel’s own Jim Pettit, whose granddaughter was among the eager learners from Sheridan.
The students started their site visit by learning a brief history and overview of the company and the career opportunities provided by Westfield Steel and the metalworking industry at large. They then enjoyed a full tour of the shop floor and production facility, seeing six bays in action, working with one of our cobots, and even trying their hands at stud-shooting. Although most students came into the day without any prior exposure to the world of steel supply and fabrication, many enjoyed working with their hands. They all asked great questions and left with a new appreciation and understanding of what the industry can offer.
“Unless kids know somebody that works somewhere, they may not know what all a lot of places do,” Samuels said. “This is a great opportunity for them to learn what’s out there and for businesses like Westfield Steel to show what they do and can offer. They may not be ready for employment quite yet, but they soon will be. Every time we go, we have students excitedly say, ‘That’s what I want to do!’ They may change their minds, of course, but it’s great for them to learn about local companies and see new ways they can earn an income to take care of a family one day.”
It was a fun opportunity for our Westfield Steel team, too. We love spending all day, every day, surrounded by steel, but sometimes we can forget just how exciting and interesting our operations can be, so it was our pleasure to partner with SYAP and their inquisitive, hardworking students who soaked it all in and enjoyed the experience. We look forward to continuing working with SYAP and similar community groups to host more students in the future—and hopefully welcoming some back for their first forays into full-time employment here one day, too!
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