More than 2,000 children are expected to participate in "Young Minds at Work Day" Thursday, April 27, at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company -- giving them a chance to experience the career excitement of a global high-technology aerospace company in action.
The activities includes presentations on what it's like to fly in space and demonstrations of state-of-the-art technology products. The children will conduct hands-on simulations that show how space satellites operate, and see mock-up displays of missile systems. Pennsylvania's Governor Edward G. Rendell has announced a major investment in Pennsylvania's plastics industry that will improve the skills of current workers and prepare future employees with the skills they need to work in this advanced field. One hundred Pennsylvania Plastics Initiative scholarships will be available to Pennsylvania residents who are new associate degree students majoring in plastics and polymer technology at the Pennsylvania College of Technology or plastics engineering technology at Penn State-Behrend. Applicants must apply by May 1. Lockheed Martin Education Action "Our goal is to inspire kids of all ages and backgrounds to get excited about science and technical careers and help address a national shortfall of job candidates in these fields," said Lockheed Martin's Space Systems' Vice President and Deputy Joanne Maguire.She added: "The future of not only the aerospace industry but our nation depends on the imagination and creative energy of the next generation of engineering and technical minds." During the day, children
"job-shadow" employees to learn more about what it's like to work at a global aerospace company such as Lockheed Martin Space Systems. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company annually hosts Young Minds at Work Day to motivate young people to pursue science and technology careers. Altogether, more than 6,000 youth, aged six to 18 years, are registered to attend this year's event at company facilities in California, Colorado, Alabama, Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Washington.
Pennsylvania Education Investment "Plastics is one of the state's most competitive, advanced manufacturing industries," Governor Rendell said. "The key piece of this initiative is people. This effort includes 100 scholarships that will provide exactly the kind of technology savvy, skilled workforce employers need. "As much as we are investing in businesses, we are using our state's resources to help students and today's employees master the skills they will need to find a job, or find a better job. This is just one of many
steps we're taking toward our goal of building the nation's finest workforce," Rendell added. A $3.7 million federal grant award, combined with $1.1 million in state dollars, brings the total investment in the Pennsylvania Plastics Initiative to $4.8 million over three years. The Pennsylvania Plastics Initiative will be managed by a steering committee drawn from plastics industry representatives, the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board, the Department of Labor & Industry, the Penn State University Network, local workforce investment boards, the Industrial Research Centers, and the Ben Franklin Technology Partners.