How We Came About

Many high school graduates are choosing the pathway to a career instead of college and area schools and businesses are working together to make this possible for students.  Leading that effort is a cooperative agreement between several area high schools and US Tool Group, a Farmington-based supplier of industrial products and tool sharpening and reconditioning services to the aerospace industry and other manufacturers.  (Daily Journal)

In 2018, US Tool Group founded the Industry and Education Partnership program (with special thanks to Bruce Williams, US Tool CEO) to remedy the shrinking pool of candidates applying for jobs with relatable trade skills.  US Tool saw the need in the community for a career path for students who are not college bound.  Because of that need, the Industry and Education Partnership was created.  

The mission for this program is to form an industry and education partnership with the assistance of state and local agencies that creates a curriculum, career path and skill development for students in production and manufacturing field.  The goal was to partner with local schools by providing resources to the classroom and offering internship programs to train or “retool” students into employees. (573 Magazine)

Students have the opportunity to gain in education and transferable skills and experience with regional businesses that result in a job offer upon graduation. The program does not focus on US Tool Group, but instead focuses on the community and its students.  (Daily Journal)

This program includes the following school districts: West County, North County, Central and Farmington as active participants. Bismarck, Fredericktown, and Ste. Genevieve are also now on board with the program.  Additional businesses involved in the partnership include Lee Mechanical, Forte Products, Cap America, Kevin Ball Auto Body, Sachs Electric, Polysol Polymers, Mineral Area College, UniTec Career Center and local state politicians have also become involved in the partnership.

This program continues to expand as word of mouth travels to schools and local businesses.  Although many of the schools started this process around the same time, each school is different on how the program works for them and at what speed they move.  There is not a set program.  The partnership adapts to the needs of the districts and their students.  (Daily Journal)

The educators involved in the partnership recognized that the school’s primary focus has been on college bound students.  The high schools drive everyone, regardless of interests, toward post-secondary opportunities.  Working with local industry enlightened the educators to the  options available to students beyond post-secondary education.  

More than a year ago, the West County School District began to form a partnership with US Tool to train students to learn skills needed to get a job after graduation. Denny Bouse, a West County graduate and tooling operations manager for US Tool, approached West County High School Principal Eric Moyers to see if the school would be interested in such a program. Moyers and WCHS Technology and Engineering Instructor, CJ Wright, agreed and felt there was a strong need for students to gain valuable job-specific skills.

The planning process took about a year.  Wright worked 120 hours at US Tool in the  summer of 2018 to gain basic knowledge of the machines utilized on the tool floor.  He learned how an average day began and ended for a US Tool employee.

Wright began working with students during the 2018-2019 school year in a class called Machine Tool Tech Training.  They watched a plant tour video to learn the overview of tool regrinding capabilities and also took a first-hand tour of US Tool.  In addition, students have learned overall tool and machine safety; standard and metric measuring system; measuring instruments; general print reading and basic geometry; and definition and function of basic and specific tools.

US Tool delivered two tool and cutter grinders to West County in December of 2018: an in-mill sharpener and pointer and a more advanced machine to sharpen a variety of drill bits. (Daily Journal)

North County High School has also been an active member in the Partnership.  They signed Bailey VanVacter, the first student to participate in an internship through the Industry & Education Partnership with US Tool.  

Bailey gained experience in the retooling area and obtained a full-time position upon graduation in 2019.  Bailey stated that “traditional school is not for everyone.  Just because students perform poorly on tests or reports does not mean they are unable to perform other skills well”.  Bailey struggled academically and began questioning his abilities.  However, when he entered vocational school and furthered his training through the HS industrial arts program, Bailey excelled and his talents grew and finally, school became more interesting.  

The US Tool program took Bailey straight to where he needed to be and he could not be more grateful for the opportunity.  Bailey knows there are more students out there just like him who might not test well in school, read perfectly, or even sit in a chair like a china doll…...for this reason, he feels more programs like this are necessary. (573 Magazine)

Bailey received a full-time position in the retooling department where he sets up the CNC machines for end mills, which are particular tools for milling operations.  He keeps stringent tolerance boundaries, reads blueprints, and does a lot of measuring.  Bailey adds that there is a lot of attention to detail and accuracy involved and he knows that it is exactly what he is meant to do.

In 2019, US Tool provided the industrial arts program at North County with micrometers, dial calipers, a swivel head metal brake, and a classroom set of safety glasses.  They will also be receiving a tool and cutter grinder.

Two teachers from North County High School participated in paid externships at US Tool during the summer of 2019.  Adam Bowers learned about how to use the tool and cutter grinder, the air flow grinder, monistat, optical comparer, and bench grinder; while Jennifer Huff assisted in the Human Resources department and was responsible for developing this partnership handbook along with other marketing tools.  She also spent time on the tool floor learning about the plant operations and measuring devices. 

The Central School District enrolled their first intern at US Tool in March of 2019. Allison Stotler worked in the tool room department and received a full-time position upon graduation in the training group through the System Support Group of the US Tool company. 

The Partnership is privileged to have the support of many of our local and state government officials and continues to be excited for the opportunities that this partnership has created between industry and education.

If businesses, educators, and the community collaborate to find productive options for all of our students, we will strengthen the local area.  We are building pathways to the future for all of our communities.  The true beauty of the Partnership is watching the schools collaborate and work together beyond the school rivalries.