Page 33 - MetalForming April 2014
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led to the creation of a new
program for Batesville High
School students that also encompasses the newly
expanded local arm of Ivy
Tech Community College.
Ivy Tech, with the gener-
ous financial support of the
Batesville Community
School Corp., BTD and
other local businesses,
moved into a new facility
early in 2013 and now “has
become a place where par-
ents can be proud to send
their kids,” says Fledder-
man. “I believe kids need
options other than a 4-yr.
college to further their education out- side of high school, and the technical programs offered at Ivy Tech fit that bill. Along with their high-school cur- riculum, our new co-op program becomes the proverbial third leg to the stool to provide support to kids as they look to begin careers in manufacturing.”
including BTD. As juniors and seniors the kids spend time working at each of the four companies; as seniors they are paid interns.
“We and the other par- ticipating companies (Bates- ville Casket, Heartwood Mfg. and Virtus Inc.) all committed to teaching these kids meaningful skills,” says Fledderman, instru- mental in launching the pro- gram and developing the curriculum. “To allow that to happen, the school administration had to certi- fy one of its instructors
under state guidelines.”
That person is math teacher Cathy
Martini, who oversees each kids’ expe- riences and ensures that the students receive the opportunities promised. And, she helps to ensure that the businesses get what they’re looking for—responsi- ble students who show up on time ready
BTD vice president of sales Gene Lambert (standing) discusses a stamped heat shield with Jorge Lopez, vice president of finance (left), and Lance Green, vice president of materials. Lopez served as controller in the BTD plant in Mexico before moving to BTD headquarters in 2012. “Promoting from within and then backfilling from up-and-coming mid- dle managers has helped support our growth,” says Fledderman.
COIL-FED FIBER LASER SYSTEMS
High-school students participating in the co-op program enter as juniors, having first participated in the school’s Project Lead the Way STEM curricula. They attend classes at Ivy Tech and spend six hours per week working at one of four local manufacturing com- panies that signed on to participate,
US Patent: 6,563,081 Shown without fencing
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