The Wythe Manufacturing Council (WMC) is an informal gathering of managers from Wythe County’s manufacturers. The group convenes to address issues of importance to the local manufacturing community and networks on a regular basis. The top local manager and one other senior manager from each qualifying business are invited to be members of the council.
Workforce development has been one of the top focuses of the council since its initial organization over fifteen years ago. The council early on initiated a scholarship program to aid Wythe County students in pursuing manufacturing-related studies at Wytheville Community College. The council was also influential in the establishment of a career coaching program in the middle and high schools and the implementation of a manufacturing technology program in the public school system.
More recently, the WMC has worked with faculty and staff of Wythe County Public Schools as well as the workforce development staff at Wytheville Community College to evaluate current and proposed technical and academic programs applicable to manufacturing. The Council and its partners want the strongest possible approaches in workforce training to maximize the relevance of skills and meet demands both current and anticipated.
Currently, working with local and state officials, the Joint IDA and its WMC are working to establish an apprenticeship program that would benefit students and the community of manufacturers.
The council is led by a chairman and vice-chairman with staff support provided by the Joint Industrial Development Authority. For additional information, please contact the Joint Industrial Development Authority at (276) 223-3370 or john.matthews@wytheida.org.
The next Wythe Manufacturing Roundtable will be held August 2021.
PREVIOUS EVENTS
Matt Earnest, Director of the Center for High Performance Manufacturing, joins the Wythe Manufacturing Roundtable to discuss opportunities for collaboration through Virginia Tech’s Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering.
DISCUSSION:
• Center for High Performance Manufacturing
• Learning Factory
• Senior Design Capstone Course
• Workforce Development and Recruiting
• and how these opportunities could benefit your facility
Wythe Manufacturing Council Leadership
Chairman
David Carpenter
President, Southwest Specialty Heat Treat
Vice-Chairman
Matthew Clarke
President, Clarke Precision Machine