The Southwest King County Chamber of Commerce recently awarded $11,000 to Burien’s Puget Sound Skills Center, to help the school build a composites lab in their autobody tech program. [caption id="attachment_87508" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Left to right: Chamber CEO Carol Kolson, Treasurer Gerry Myklebust, VP Judy Coovert, PSSC Director Thomas Mosby, President Louise Strander and Board Member Natalie Elert.[/caption] This grant will help support STEM-related learning activities for autobody tech and Aerospace manufacturing and engineering at the school. The new addition to autobody tech will allow for the program to begin learning about where the industry is headed in terms of introducing more composites curriculum the program. This new addition will allow for autobody tech and AME programs to do joint projects in the STEM content area. The addition of the lab will also prepare students for jobs being advertised by Aerospace suppliers. This new lab could impact 50-100 students each year in being able to offer training at PSSC for aerospace and autobody type careers. The monies provided by the SWKCC will allow the school to purchase some of the equipment needed to outfit the lab. The Chamber fiscal support could make a difference in preparing students for the many local jobs that are out there for composite careers. The check in the amount of $11,000 was presented by The Success Foundation Board of Directors:
- Louise Strander – President
- Judy Coovert – Vice President
- Gerry Myklebust – Treasurer
- Carol Kolson – Secretary
- Natalie Elert – Board Member