October is National Manufacturing Month. A group of 30 Middle School students visited NML, a subsidiary of Globus Medical, in West Carrollton. The facility has more than 125 computer numerical control machine tools, 275 pieces of manufacturing equipment, and produces more than one million parts used in the medical field each year.

“The facility looks small on the outside, but the inside is 180,000 square feet,” said student Oscar Perez. “It was interesting to see how the machines make things. It was fun to learn.” Many of the parts made are used for spinal surgeries. That aligns with Oscar’s goal of having a career in the medical field. “I would like to be a nurse or maybe an EMT.”

Students could ask questions during their visit and discover the variety of job positions and education required. The visit was part of the Career Technical Education class at the Middle School. Teacher Shelley Arnette said, “The kids had a good experience, and it was relatable. Everyone has gone to a doctor or knows someone who has had some kind of surgery.”

Middle School and High School students can explore careers through on-site visits, classroom visits from career professionals, and Career Fairs. Students can research their career choice and determine what education they may need after graduation to reach their goal.

College Fairs that include trade school and military representatives are also available to students. Researching colleges begins in Middle School and is a component of Arnette’s class. Students are urged to evaluate schools by looking at admission rates, demographics, accreditation, and class sizes. Other factors include whether courses offered match career goals, GPA requirements, and costs.

Middle School students will participate in Career Adventures in early November to further explore possible careers they may want to pursue.