Don't just talk about manufacturing...LIVE IT!

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Building Tomorrow's Workforce

If you're ready to EXPLORE a career in manufacturing...
this is your chance!

Hands-On Career Path Prep

Each summer, several employers, schools, and community partners sponsor the Institute. Our goal is to expose students and parents to the fantastic world of career paths in the trades.

We Do Cool Stuff!

Each summer, several employers, schools, and community partners sponsor the Institute. Our goal is to expose students and parents to the fantastic world of career paths in the trades.

We Cover the Spectrum

This experience exposes students to careers in engineering, welding, machining, quality control, production, management, and many more!

Get Workforce Ready

Have you wanted to try out new jobs to see what they're like? Now's your chance. The Institute gives you an opportunity to experience manufacturing for yourself.

Not Just Another Summer Program

This is different from anything you've EVER done before!

We Help You Explore the Future

You have many choices for your future pathway. We want you to enjoy a career that can support your goals. But you'll never know what's out there until you try new things.

You Get to DO Manufacturing

We believe the best way for you to know if you like a career is to try it. The Institute places you in a live setting as you work with a team to design, manufacture, and sell products while exploring businesses and careers in manufacturing.

Learn by Doing

Most of our time is spent rolling up our sleeves and doing the work.

2025 Summer Institute

Thanks to our Graduates, Sponsors, Teachers!

What an amazing session this year!!

Great students, teachers, partners, sponsors, and everyone involved.

We're excited to see everyone in the months ahead!

2025 Trades Week

Thanks to our Students, Sponsors, Teachers!

This year we ran two programs at North Idaho College and Bowdish Middle School. Incredible results and lots of fun.

See you next year!!

What Do We Do?

These are just a few of the things we do...

Welding Day

Don't Just Talk About It...Do It!

Students paired up with professionals from local companies to experience MIG welding. Most had never done it before. This gives a live sample of what it is, how it works, and if they may like it.

Machining Day

It's Tough to Understand Machining Until You Do It

Students visited Spokane Community College to learn about and then run the CNC mills. It's one thing to talk about machining, but until you see it in action, you don't really appreciate it.

Hands On Learning

Whether in the shop manufacturing products or visiting a local business, we beleive in "learning by doing." They learn from practitioners and professionals in all settings and apply real-world decision-making to create solutions.

Manufacturing Tours

Meet Our Sponsors

Our participants tour the best manufacturers in the region to see how manufacturing is put into practice. They hear from industry professionals and executives, seeing processes in place and learning about careers.

Design & Prototyping

Ideation to Market in 4 Days?

Not quite, but we adapt a similar model used by Google to accelerate product development, learning, and production. Students jump right into principles of designing, modeling, and prototyping.

Production

Applied Learning

We grow knowledge and skills to help understand the difference between "making something" (e.g., "crafting") and manufacturing. They understand processes, flows, quality, teamwork, saleability, manufacturability, and many other standards.

What Is it?

The Institute is a summer program offered by manufacturers through a partnership with schools and local agencies to provide students with real exposure to careers. We offer a variety of programs that allow students to look into careers in industries like manufacturing, aerospace, and other trades firsthand.

It doesn't matter if you don't know what you want to do. That's the point. We want those who are still looking, deciding, and want to try things out.

Now in its 6th year, PMI offers different programs in several locations. It's not a "camp" to come and be entertained. We expect a lot, we give a lot, and our graduates get a lot.

LEARN MORE

Manufacturing Institute Graduation

Congratulations to the PMI Class of 2024!

Our graduation ceremony for this year's PMI grads was on Friday, July 26, East Valley High School. We celebrated the amazing outcomes of the 3-week program and all these learners accomplished.

As a reward, graduates received a $500 stipend, a DeWalt mechanics tool kit, and lots of prizes earned throughout the program. More info will be available soon on our Picture page.

2025 Institute Video Updates

Here are a few video updates to explain a little more about our upcoming program. Check back for updates as we provide additional videos over the next few days.

Intro to the 2025 Institute

Highlights of this year's Institute, a few changes, and what to expect with the updated rewards, incentives, and program. Additional videos to follow soon.

1-week v. 3-week Options

We're offering a 1-week and 3-week option for High School Institute participants. Here's a quick overview of the differences.

(This is different from the 1-week Trades Week program for Middle School students)

SEE ADDITIONAL VIDEOS

CLICK HERE

What is the Institute?

Teachers, Counselors, Businesses
Check out this video that provides an overview of what we do, why we do it, and our overall vision.
Click to Learn How to Support the Institute

Download the 2025 Guide

Check out our booklet - "Experience Manufacturing." It outlines the Institute, its background, and details about the program. This guide shares more about where we've been and where we're going to prepare students for their future.

READ ONLINE

DOWNLOAD

Check Out Cool Careers!

The Institute is Highlighted in Jan-Feb Let's Go Aerospace!!

Participants EXPERIENCE what it's like to go into several careers and industries within aerospace and advanced manufacturing. Read Wade's recommendations to start your journey and prepare for your future. It's never too early, and it's never too late!

Get started today!

READ LET'S GO AERO

LEARN ABOUT CAREERS

Together...
We're building the future of Manufacturing

What do we do at the Institute?

It's a shorter answer if we list what we don't do. Here are just a few of the things we explore through the program...

Product Design
Intro to Prototyping & Modeling
Intro to CAD & 3D Printing
Team-Based Approach
Intro to Manufacturing Processes
Production Planning & Demand
Marketing & Sales
Intro to Welding
Introduction to Machining Careers
Elements of Production Operations
Quality & Customer Expectations
Hands-On Equipment, Tools, Machines
Full Production Environment
Field Trips to Local Manufacturers
Access to Special Scholarship from Spokane Valley Chamber Foundation for Eligible Participants

DONATIONS

We Appreciate Your Support

The Institute operates on donations. We want to support our summer program AND deliver programming to schools and kids year round... but we need your help.

We envision micro-academies, middle school programs, and other youth workforce development efforts.

Your contribution is made through our non-profit partnership with the Spokane Workforce Council. This helps us direct your contributions directly to the program.

You can contact us for more information or follow this link:

Donation Link

Please email us for additional information or read more on the Sponsorship page. Thanks for your support!

Meet Bryce

Bryce was part of our first Institute. He graduated from SCC's welding program and was hired. The Institute created his interest in welding and started him off in his career! Watch Bryce share his story by clicking on the video.

Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Sponsors make a difference and allow us to keep the program going.

Thanks to our Premier Sponsors

Thanks to our Major Sponsors

The Krumble Foundation

Thanks to our Supporting Sponsors

Altek, Inc.

ControlFreek, Inc.

Associated Builders & Contractors

Download our 1-Page Overview

Share information with others or simply get the "bullet points" you need to know about the Institute.

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Institute in the News

Come check out some of the articles and media spots run over the years about the Institute and what we do.

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Products

We have a few products to show off. They may not be for sale, but they help tell the story of what we do and the success of participants.

See Products

Learn More About Us

Come learn more about our progra in 2024, our new program focus areas, and details about what's in store for students this round.

Click Here

Machining Project made by students on visit to Spokane Community College during "Machining Day."

WHY
MANUFACTURING?

Manufacturing is an important part of the economy. There are many career tracks in production, engineering, business, leadership, support, technical, and other areas.

Here are some reasons to consider manufacturing:

Job stability: Manufacturing has a steady demand for goods and services. As long as people continue to buy things, manufacturing jobs will always be in demand.
Good wages and benefits: Manufacturing offers good pay, health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. Companies provide training and promotions.
Diverse job opportunities: Manufacturing offers many opportunities, from engineers and technicians to assemblers and machine operators. There are many opportunities for different levels of education and skill.
Innovation: Manufacturing constantly evolves, with new technologies developed that improve efficiency and quality. It's an exciting and innovative field.

Manufacturing Matters!

Consider a career where you can make a difference. The Production and Manufacturing Institute allows you to explore the industry first-hand.

Join the Movement

Want to be a part of this movement to get kids interested in the trades?

We know youth rise to our expectations and the support we give. Join us in giving them opportunities to succeed.

Contact us today!

Production & Manufacturing Institute

Expose ● Interest ● Explore ● Prepare ● Launch

Manufacturing Pathways

Production ● Engineering ● Trades ● Construction

THANKS TO OUR GRANT SPONSORS!

The 2024 Institute is partially funded by Career Connect Washington's Program Builder program grant. This allows us to work "behind the scenes" to expand the program to more locations, schools, and students. We aim to create a "franchise model" that can be used anywhere in any industry. We have been making different adjustments to our already successful program to expand it and make it even better.

Special thanks to our East Valley School District partners, who help us manage the grant and try out new approaches. We have used EVSD as the program's "headquarters" each year. Their willingness to innovate has created the foundational approach to our success.

Stevens Amendment Funding Disclosure Requirement

The Production & Manufacturing Institute receives support and funding from a U.S. Department of Labor and Career Connect Washington Program Builder (Round 10) grants. Approximately $124,500 is financed by federal allocations during 2023-24 program years, with additional program, materials, and overhead funding received from private contributions. Read more about USDOL grant funding at esd.wa.gov/usdol.

The Career Connect Washington Program Builder Grant is funded through a USDOL Grant. To learn more about funding, follow this QR code.