FISHERS — Manufacturing jobs are as important as ever, yet they are increasingly difficult to fill.
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"We are facing a huge crisis in terms of job shortages for people to fill these really critical roles within our industry, not just for SMC, but for other manufacturers around the state," Hannah Morrison of SMC Corporation of America told WRTV Monday.
That is why SMC Corporation of America, a manufacturing company in Noblesville, and Hamilton Southeastern Schools are teaming up to prepare the manufacturing workforce of tomorrow.
The partnership starts with the addition of three state-of-the-art computer numerical control machines to the HSE high school classrooms. The machines will help propel the precision machine program at Hamilton Southeastern High School.
"It's gonna give us a huge head start because we're starting it so much earlier than, say, somebody who went to college or trade school. I think that the benefit is through the roof compared to anybody else that's starting it," Grady King, a Hamilton Southeastern High School student, said.
Brian Clawson, a precision engineering teacher at Hamilton Southeastern High School, agrees that adding these new machines gives students a jump-start on post-graduation education and potential careers in fields like engineering or manufacturing.
"By the time they leave here, they'll have 42 credits, they can have at least four different AWS certifications and then the certifications in the machining as well, as they walk out across the stage when they graduate," Clawson said. "And then pairing up with the SMC, we give you a pipeline to go and see if that's what you want to do. So it's just giving you more tools in your belt to be prepared for the real world."
The machines will be available for use by students at both HSE High School and Fishers High School.
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Logan MacDonald is the In Your Community multimedia journalist for Hamilton County. He joined WRTV in 2025. Logan loves to tell stories that hold the powerful accountable and give a voice to communities in need. Share your story ideas and important issues with Logan by emailing him at logan.macdonald@wrtv.com.
