Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs event comes to RVC

Posted: Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Media Contact: Dave Costello, 815-921-4516

Students ages 13-15 who are interested in learning more about careers in manufacturing and what goes into taking a product idea and turning it into a business will have the opportunity to attend a week-long event called Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs at Rock Valley College’s Stenstrom Center for Career Education. The event will take place June 18-22, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. each day.

Participants will tour two local manufacturing facilities (J.L. Clark and Rockford Toolcraft) to learn about what kinds of jobs exist, and what skills and training are required. They will have the opportunity to hear how these businesses started, and learn the basic entrepreneurship principles involved in taking a product idea and turning it into a business. 

Attendees will be required to design and build a product (a scale representation of a wind turbine).  They will design part of the assembly, while many of the parts needed will come in kit form (similar to the Boy Scouts Pine Wood Derby but with wind turbines instead of cars). The students will also complete five entrepreneurship training lessons during the week.

The cost to attend is just $59. Participation is capped at 14 students. To register for the event, contact Rock Valley College’s Community and Continuing Education department 815-921-3900. The course code needed to register is MEC 010 MFA.

This event is presented by Rock Valley College in cooperation with the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Intl. (FMA). For more information go to http://www.nutsandboltsfoundation.org. 

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