Educating Our Future About Careers in Manufacturing
In early February, the Regional Technology Center in Western Mass had the distinct pleasure of spending the day with the folks from ATETV, the Advanced Technological Education Television, a National Science Foundation (NSF) product. Anthony Manupelli and Mary Ellen Gardner of WGBH Boston, on behalf of ATETV, came to town. Their many years of experience include "NOVA", "This Old House", MTV, and technical programming for PBS WGBH.
The mission of this ATETV project is to film CEO’s leading technology enabled companies, speaking to students about the value of studies in the STEM disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. These 10 to 15 minute dialogues with students will appear in April on YouTube, MySpace, and other web sites where students congregate. These highly valued students are the workforce of today and the future. These "conversations" have become vital for the success of the technology-based US economy.
The ATETV team set up a studio in the EDC Conference Room, downtown Springfield, and proceeded to the capture on film some of our finest business leaders from our technology-enabled community. Many thanks to the following folks who donated their valuable time to demonstrate the distinct creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation that thrive right here in Western Mass:
Stan Kowalski, III, President & CEO, FloDesign Wind Turbine Corporation, Wilbraham, MA
Dave Marlin, President & CEO, MetaComet Systems, South Hadley, MA
Dr. Larry Schwartz, PhD, Science Director, Pioneer Valley Life Sciences Institute (PVLSI), Springfield, MA
Bill Bither, President & CEO, Atalasoft, Easthampton, MA
Keith Parent, President & CEO, Court Square Group, Springfield, MA
Laura Bernstein, President & CEO, CRA, Inc., Holyoke, MA
Anthony and Mary Ellen e-mailed us the next day, "You assembled a great group of entrepreneurs for us to interview, and we had a great time doing it. We hope to see you again soon!"
While packing up camera and lights, they mentioned to us, "they had been traveling all around the country to do these interviews only to find out that the best ones were right here in their own back yard!"
