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w w w.in s i g h t o n m f g . c o m Januar y 2015 • /INSIGHT ON MANUFACTURING | 13 is working with the Sheboygan School District on a new initiative to boost tech- ed offerings at the two high schools (see Education & Training, p. 14). Working with educators is absolutely vital, Kuehn says. But the effort should also extend to parents. "If you talk to any of the school systems that have either built new technical facilities or just ended up modifying and upgrading their tech centers, I think you'll find it's not just all talking to and familiarizing the kids with what's going on; the parents have to kind of be reeducated also," Kuehn says. They're ultimately the gatekeepers, choosing whether to support a child's interest in a manufacturing-oriented education or career choice. Bill Bartnik, director of manufacturing systems at Sargento and the new chairman of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance, says the alliance is focusing on continuing to change impressions about manufacturing, including through creating more opportunities to get to know what the industry is really about. The alliance wants to increase the number of plant tours for educators and students this year. It plans to host a college internship networking event at Lambeau Field on March 12. Such events help to demonstrate the varied careers that manufacturing offers, and that continued effort is part of the alliance's focus. "Our main mission, and the hurdles we're trying to overcome, are the misconceptions about manufacturing," Bartnik says. "I feel like we've come a long way, but this year, we're going to keep working on those initiatives. There are workers out there, and if they really get manufacturing and understand the career they can have, we'll have a bigger pool to pull from." "I hear it all the time from companies saying, 'You know what, I'm willing to train someone if they are able to communicate, work hard and will come to work every day.'" Ann Franz, director of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance