A group of 75 students from a nearby high school participated in a Manufacturing Day event held Oct. 7 at Rogan Corp.
Rogan, an injection molder of liquid silicone rubber and thermoplastic medical, industrial and consumer products, hosted students from Glenbrook North High School who are enrolled in Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering Design courses.
The students toured the facility, met with Rogan managers and molding and design specialists, and learned more about careers in the industry.
Mary Kosirog, Glenbrook North's career and life skills instructional supervisor, coordinated the event. Other administrators who attended include Glenbrook North engineering instructor Jason Berg, principal John Finan, transitional vocational coach Ron Gatchalian and digital learning specialist Kevin Braun.
“By opening our facility and sharing our expertise with these students, we hoped to encourage them to consider careers in manufacturing, and in the plastics industry, in particular,” Pamela Newman, Rogan's chief operating officer, said in a news release.
The day began with introductory comments by Newman and senior Rogan technical managers, and it included guided tours of the stages of development of molded products. It culminated in lunch and a question-and-answer session in which students were encouraged to ask Rogan team members about any topics, from technical processes and challenges in designing molded products to career opportunities.
“This was a great opportunity for our students,” Kosirog said in a statement. “It enabled them to experience a real manufacturing environment, to see some of the same processes they had been exposed to in the classroom, and to gain insight into career opportunities in the plastics industry.”
“These visits are both educational for the students and an opportunity for them to explore career opportunities,” said Jim Ritzema, Rogan's director of new product development. “But they also give us the opportunity to interest bright young people in joining us. At the end of the day, everyone benefits.”
Northbrook, Ill.-based Rogan specializes in liquid silicone rubber injection molding, two-shot thermoplastic molding, and insert molding. Industries served include medical, electronics, military, aerospace, consumer, commercial and industrial markets.