Pictured in front from left are Sam Stiles, Bremen; Bailey Keller, Warsaw; Jordan Mitchell, Rochester; Kody Zbieranski, Bremen; Samual Slough, Warsaw; Ben Michael, Tippecanoe Valley; and Caleb Singer, Bremen. In the second row are Alec Michael, Tippecanoe Valley; Brie Mitchell, Rochester; Xander Rice, Warsaw; Bradley Jackson, Warsaw; Nathan Harper, MIlford; Owen Stevens, Warsaw; and Carson Miller, Bremen. In back are Kelsey Harper, MIlford; Josiah Marsh, Columbia City; Ryan Scott, Milford; Jayden Leake, Warsaw; Riley Huffer, Milford; and Gavin Main, Bremen. (Photos by Amanda McFarland)

WARSAW — Approximately 20 middle-schoolers gathered this week at the Orthopedic and Advanced Manufacturing Training Center, Warsaw, to learn about careers in manufacturing and robotics.

Ivy Tech Community College and Depuy Synthes co-organized the camp, which focused on 3D design and printing. This was one of three camps that will take place this month.

Students spent the week learning about 3D design and creating their own 3D-printed race cars. Today, Friday, July 15, was the final day of the camp, when students went head-to-head to see whose printed car was the fastest.

“A lot of students are being steered away from jobs in industry,” Ivy Tech Director of Advanced Manufacturing Tom Till said. “You hear a lot about engineering, but you don’t hear about a lot of other jobs that don’t require an engineering degree.”

Because of this, Till said, jobs are becoming more and more difficult to fill. Through the camps, Ivy Tech and Depuy hope to change some of this and to encourage students toward careers in the manufacturing realm.

“There are factories overseas who would love to take our manufacturing jobs away from us,” Till said. “One thing we can do to help keep this from happening is by providing our companies in the United States with the best trained workers in the world. We hope that each of our campers sees manufacturing as an exciting career choice.”

The students competed in a double-elimination race and Xander Rice, Warsaw, was the champion overall.