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Source: Erie Times-News, Pa.儲存倉Oct. 15--Melanie Baker sat in front of a computer screen, typing directions into a software program that would tell the huge machine next to her how to slice through metal.After a minute, bright orange sparks flew as the plasma cutter cut the sheet of metal into a series of rectangles.Baker, a 17-year-old senior at Erie's Central Career and Technical School, initially wanted to go into the protective services field. But she changed to welding when the school opened the new program a year ago in response to demand from the local manufacturing community."It's something not a lot of girls do," Baker said. "It's cool to be different than everybody."The move paid off: A recent field trip ended in a co-op job offer from a local company.The offer illustrates the continued demand from the local business and manufacturing leaders for more skilled labor, Central Principal Mat Pundt said: There are jobs available, many in entry-level positions, in a variety of industries and technical fields but not enough qualified applicants to fill them.It's a problem the Erie School District aims to fix.Each of three multimillion-dollar options to restructure the district presented to the public earlier this month includes an emphasis on expanded career and technical education.The details of each option differ. But in each, students who now take both vocational and academic classes at Central would take vocational classes at Central in one of two half-day sessions -- a morning or afternoon session -- and spend the rest of the day taking academic classes at another high school.The change could double the number of students who are able to enroll in career and technical education, district employees said.That's good news for the business community and for waiting students.Central Tech admits only about half of the students who want to attend every year, turning away between 250 and 300 annually, said Matthew Cummings, the district's director of communications. All of the labs are filled to capacity right now, with a total enrollment of 1,058 across four grades."The demand for career and tech education is huge," Erie School Board President Mary Frances Schenley said. "I've had so many calls from parents this summer whose children were on a waiting list to get into Central Tech. It provides a good education, and that's the direction their child wants to go in. It doesn't preclude them from going to college but it gives them the option of going further i迷你倉最平 a technical field if that's what they so choose."Many are, following the jobs.Employment in fabricated metal product manufacturing, for example, is expected to grow by 12 percent by 2020, creating 151,600 new jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The plastics and rubber products manufacturing and wood product manufacturing industries also are expected to add jobs.An additional 2.1 million new jobs are projected in the professional, scientific and technical services."It's critical that we educate and train as many students who wish to be in (vocational and technical) programs," said Barbara Chaffee, president of the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership. "The need is there."Chaffee said she would also like to see the Central site used for training of dislocated workers in the evenings and on weekends.Rob Smith, president of Acutec Precision Machining, said students who receive vocational or technical training are "usually years ahead of people who come out of high school with just a general education who don't have a clue what machining and manufacturing is all about.""We're not having trouble (filling jobs) because we really work hard at attracting the best people we can," Smith said. "Our problem is we'd love to have them a lot more qualified than we're taking them on for. We're finding young people who have the attitude and the aptitude, but they don't have the qualifications or background. It takes us a lot longer to get them up to speed."Jim Ohrn, vice president of Custom Engineering, said the company continues to be challenged in recruiting people with skills in machining and metal fabrication.He's encouraged by the district's plans for an emphasis on vocational education. Parents and counselors need to help, he said."It is an area that probably parents have dissuaded their students from going into," Ohrn said. "They want them to go to college, get a white-collar job. But there are so many students who are mechanically inclined, interested in how things work, how to make things work and show those skills in middle school and later."They should allow them to pursue those dreams, to intern at a local company such as ours and get a job," he said."That's what it's all about."ERICA ERWIN can be reached at 870-1846 or by e-mail. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNerwin.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Erie Times-News (Erie, Pa.) Visit the Erie Times-News (Erie, Pa.) at .GoErie.com Distributed by MCT Information Services迷你倉