⚙️💡🚀 High school students from Buncombe County and Asheville City Schools spent Oct. 3 exploring the world of advanced manufacturing during Modern Manufacturing Day at Eaton, an appliances, electrical, and electronics manufacturer in Arden.
The event- held in partnership with the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, A-B Tech, and the Mountain Area Workforce Development Board- featured facility tours, hands-on activities, and a panel discussion with Eaton team members. Students got to see what modern manufacturing really looks like: safe, high-tech, and full of opportunities.
“It’s a really good way to talk to local students and show that advanced manufacturing today is very different from what people might imagine,” said Andrew Lindberg, Eaton’s operational excellence manager. “They see our processes, our teamwork, and hopefully, a future career path.”
Students drew process diagrams, learned about wiring and power systems, and tested the same efficiency and safety principles used by Eaton engineers.
“It’s definitely very informative,” said Allie, a senior at Clyde A. Erwin High School. “It gives you a sense of what it’s like to work in a place like this and how engineering really works.”
Career and Technical Education (CTE) leaders consistently emphasize the value of these partnerships, and Buncombe County Schools CTE offers frequent opportunities for students to experience real local career pathways- from Agriculture Days to Construction Career Day to internships to CTE-based clubs that offer students friendly competitions to hone their skills and network.
“Events like this introduce students to pathways they might not have considered,” said BCS CTE Director Michele Smith. “You never know what experience might spark a lifelong interest.”