From the Classroom to the Shop Floor: Workforce Development at Athena Manufacturing
At Athena Manufacturing, we are committed to workforce development, whether by offering training opportunities to our long-time employees or inviting young, prospective talent into our shop. We’re passionate about cultivating the next generation of advanced manufacturing professionals, ensuring both our community and our customers benefit from highly trained, career-ready individuals.
One of the ways we achieve this is through our expanding partnerships with local high schools, providing students with hands-on exposure to careers in precision machining and manufacturing before they even graduate.
Growing Our Engagement with High Schools
Our program involves students as early as their sophomore and junior years, offering shop tours to spark interest and give them a glimpse into the workflows of a modern shop and custom metal fabrication processes.
We offer greater opportunities to students in their senior year. Through these hands-on programs, seniors have the opportunity to complete courses at Austin Community College (ACC) while interning at Athena. This dual credit approach allows students to apply classroom knowledge directly in a real-life environment, creating a bridge between education and career. If they remain steadfast and focused, students can even earn an associate degree by the time they graduate high school without incurring any debt!
This thoughtful combination of practical experience and formal education exemplifies how workforce development initiatives leave a lasting impact.
What students can expect
Internships and other workforce development opportunities at Athena are anything but typical. Students receive a well-rounded, practical education on a range of services, from welding to machining. Additionally, students are evaluated throughout their internships, with helpful feedback that can propel their careers forward.
Our program with Elgin High School includes a celebratory “signing day” for seniors. Think of the NFL draft, but for careers in machining! Families, educators, and Athena team members join students as they officially accept positions with our company. It’s truly a special day for all parties involved, as it celebrates the student’s hard work and dedication, and serves as a bridge between school and career.
How schools can get involved
For guidance counselors and educators, partnering with Athena Manufacturing begins with creating a Career Technical Education (CTE) or dual-credit pathway. Once established, students tour our facilities, interview with our team, and (if accepted) join a paid internship cohort. Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) formalize the relationship, ensuring both school and company are aligned in supporting the student’s development.
Our goal is to instill passion and technical skill in young professionals, who then become the foundation for our thriving workforce as Athena meets our customers’ needs for years to come.
What Workforce Development Means for Athena’s Customers
Not only do students gain hands-on experience, professional guidance, and a head start in a fulfilling career, but our customers also benefit from Athena’s emphasis on building and nurturing a successful workforce. Partnering with a shop that has a culture of training, development, mentorship, and retention of skilled machinists sets them up for long-term success. Because we have a pipeline of motivated, well-trained employees, we have the agility to scale with demand while maintaining high standards in all of our contract manufacturing services.
At Athena, workforce development is about creating a team capable of delivering high-quality, consistent results for our customers. Partner with Athena, a leader in Texas contract manufacturing, to see the benefits for yourself.