From the Executive Director's Desk: FLATE’s Industrial Advisory Committee Explores the Ins and Out of Internships

Please join us on January 18, 2017, when FLATE will host an Internship Panel as the featured presentation of our Industrial Advisory Committee meeting, hosted by Pinellas Technical College’s Clearwater campus. Developing effective and efficient mechanisms and partnerships to support internship programs is an important objective for building the region's technical workforce. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. (The college will provide an optional tour of the manufacturing related programs that starts at 4:30 p.m.). We hope to see you there as we all start planning for seeking, providing, and facilitating summer internships for our Tampa Bay students in various high school and post-secondary manufacturing programs. There are several great resources in our area to help students and companies find each other and get involved in student internships. All attendees will be able to join in the lively discussion and Q & A sessions to share experiences, bring new (and old) internship opportunities to light as we learn what is available locally to help support our students smoothly transition from education to the workforce.

Here are a few benefits of hosting an intern:

• Help expose students to the workplace environment 
• Helps students determine where they will best fit in the industry workforce 
• Provides a “no obligation” period for employers and students to determine if the match is a good fit for both 
• Offers help at low cost and for short, temporary period 
• Supports the overall development of the next generation workforce 

Thank You & Good Luck to Tina Brudnicki 

In addition to the Internship Panel and tour of PTEC, we will be honoring Tina Brudnicki as she steps down as current Chair of the FLATE IAC, a position she has held since 2010. Tina had already been supporting FLATE as an IAC committee member since our very first meeting in 2005. Our IAC chair also represents that committee on the National Visiting Committee which meets annually to provide a status report directly to the National Science Foundation (NSF) program that funds FLATE. Tina has worked tirelessly not only for FLATE, but for all local manufacturing organizations to build partnerships, outreach opportunities to the community, and promote recognition of students and others in the manufacturing community. She commits her time and energy to review applicants for scholarships, participate in program curriculum reviews, sits on and leads college program advisory committees, serves in officer posts in regional manufacturing organizations, and so much more. Please come to celebrate and honor Tina Brudnicki as she retires from our IAC and transitions her professional career to one that directly supporting others.

I now invite you to read the rest of the stories in this inaugural edition of the 2017 FLATE Focus. We also have a special highlight about the manufacturing programs at PTEC including the machining apprentice program which is posted under the Announcements section in this edition of the FLATE Focus. Do send us your thoughts by jotting down a few comments below each blog post, or connect with us through our social networking platforms on LinkedIn, Facebook, and @Made_InFlorida on Twitter. From all of us at FLATE, Happy and Prosperous 2017!