This ongoing challenge sparked a dialogue among businesses, educators and the government. They looked to Hutchinson High School as an untapped resource for new skilled workers to build a talent pipeline from school to local industry. Community leaders felt it was a great solution, because many students there already get hands-on classroom training in welding and mechatronics – the combination of electronics and mechanical engineering. They’ve even built their own Tigerbot, named for their school mascot, to face-off against other students in the FIRST Robotics Competition.

Daryl Lundin, a technology teacher at the high school, says students get basic real-life skills that they’ll need when they enter a two-year vocational college or even a four-year college. “It gives them a better understanding of what they’re going to be doing in college,” Daryl says. However, the community saw a need for more powerful curricula, better equipment and overall development of its workforce.

A three-year initiative – developed by 21 local businesses, Hutchinson High School, Ridgewater College and the Hutchinson Economic Development Authority – aims to create a sustainable talent pipeline for advanced manufacturing. At the high school, students will build and operate a manufacturing business, making the connection to what they’re learning in the classroom by producing products for real customers. The project will also help fund professional development for teachers and provide scholarships for students.

3Mgives is donating $600,000 to help fund the project. “3Mgives invests in programs like the Hutch Initiative not only to develop a diverse talent pipeline for 3M communities,” says Matt Ladhoff with 3Mgives, “but to raise interest, awareness and exposure to relevant career opportunities that students can benefit from in their own communities.” It’s a sentiment echoed by those who work with students every day.

Bob Lea shares Jordan’s passion for the technical field and working with his hands. He spent 20 years working on electronics repair in the United States Air Force before his career brought him to Hutchinson. Today, he spends his time working with students of all ages who share that passion. He teaches automation and robotics systems technology at Ridgewater College.

As you step into Bob’s classroom, you’re captivated by the array of gadgets, lights and technology right at your fingertips. Bob’s students focus heavily on creating projects, often using donated materials. “As machines get more and more connected, we need people that can look at that machine and say, ‘There’s a problem here, or is it further upstream or downstream?’” Many of his former students are now employees at 3M Hutchinson.

The plant started manufacturing Scotch Brand Cellophane Tape in 1947. Nearly seven decades later, 3M Hutchinson employees make Scotch Magic Tape, ScotchBlue Painter’s Tape, air filtration products, multiple films and more. 3M Hutchinson is the city’s largest employer, with more than 1,700 workers in the town of 14,000.

Joe Nelson, the plant engineering manager, knows the importance of investing in a skilled workforce. “The people we recruit, the people in the group – we speak a common language,” he says. “That’s exciting for me coming to work each day and doing what we do to keep this facility running and make what we make for 3M.”