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Argos, IN – Recently, several businesses in Argos opened their doors and cleared their schedules to connect with over 60 local students for the first Argos Discovery Day: Unlocking Your Potential in Argos.
Argos Discovery Day was created with the partnership of Argos Community Development Corporation, Argos Community Schools, and local businesses to provide Argos High School students with the opportunity to learn more about opportunities after graduation.
The day started with tours of manufacturing plants in Argos. Three groups of students rotated visits to Ameri-Can, ITAMCO, and Sequel Wire. After the tours, students were bussed to Gallery on West where they were provided a catered lunch and heard from additional Argos business owners. Primitive Star Quilt Shop, Breakroom/Homestead Dairy, and Bin There Dump That each had an opportunity to provide micro-lectures about their particular business and how they got started.
“The goal of the day was two-fold” states Jon VanderWeele, president of the Argos Community Development Corporation. “We wanted students to see multiple career paths available to them, and we also wanted them to see what Argos has to offer and to take pride in their community.”
Each manufacturing tour not only shared their production process and all the moving pieces required to get a product out the door, but they also planted little seeds of life lessons.
During the tour at Sequel Wire, students were shown up close the processes of the plant and the many potential career paths. They also received direction on the importance of a positive work ethic that employers are looking for.
Matt Davis, Manager of Training and Organizational Development at ITAMCO shared with the students “I am a graduate of Argos High School, and it wasn’t until I came back to Marshall County to live after college that I even knew about organizations like ITAMCO. I’m glad you all are hearing about organizations now and can start thinking about the many career opportunities. I encourage all of you to keep a mindset of continued growth and learning.”
During the tour at Ameri-Can, students heard a few different messages from the management team about the benefits of living and working in a small town and looking for employment in an organization that values community and family. Cory Caudill, Operations Manager, shared with the students “if you spend your life looking for a paycheck, it will be a miserable life. The trades you can learn here you can carry into your personal life and build a home or help a neighbor with home improvements.”
Members of the Argos Community Development Corporation attended Discovery Day along with staff members of Argos Community Schools.
“Our local businesses did a great job of providing small group tours that gave our students the opportunity to ask questions and be engaged” states Ned Speicher, Superintendent of Argos Community Schools. “They highlighted careers that require college educations, trades education, and careers that a student can start right after graduation. It was great to see the gears turning in the minds of our students about possibilities of what tomorrow might bring.”
At the end of the day, VanderWeele adds the day was a success. “A few businesses contacted me a few days after Discovery Day to tell me students had reached out to them about employment opportunities and to learn more about their business. If we were able to reach even just a few students, it was a successful day.”
Businesses were chosen to give students an array of career types. Manufacturing and the many opportunities within that arena, internet based/retail space, farm/restaurant, and purchase of a franchise. Discovery Day 2024, with new organizations and tweaks to the program, is already being discussed.
