GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A program at Green Bay West High School has students not simply completing manufacturing projects for homework, but for local companies.
Bay Link Manufacturing celebrated five years by hosting an open house on Tuesday.
Their program brings juniors and seniors from the Green Bay area public high schools to a high-precision learning lab located at Green Bay West.
“They learn the entire manufacturing process,” explains Program Coordinator Andy Belongia. “From estimating a part to manufacturing the part, to the customer service and quality control part of it.”
Some of the customers of Bay Link include Georgia-Pacific, Hudson Sharp, and Lindquist Machine Corporation.
With real-world customers that have quality standards, it’s important for these students to have a professional approach.
“The companies hold us to the same standard as they would any other company,” he says. “So the parts need to be done correctly, and done on time, and done to the way that the customer wants them.”
And so far, there have been plenty of happy customers.
“They are very amazed that these are juniors and seniors in high school that are able to do this sort of stuff,” says Belongia.
It wasn’t difficult to talk Green Bay West Senior Travis Fontaine into joining.
“It’s right up my alley and I like it here,” he says. “It’s better than sitting in a classroom all day.”
This is his first year in the program, but he has been aware of it in the past.
“I heard about it, I had a class right next door, and I pass the teachers every day so I’ve talked to them before,” says Fontaine.
Not only do students receive valuable hands-on experience, but also five college credits from NWTC.
“Most of my students do end up going on to post-secondary education in the manufacturing area,” says Belongia.
In addition to those benefits, they also receive a portion of the profits from the work they manufacture.
