Mikayla Konopka Joins SHS Community as NAMC Career Advisor for Students Interested in Advanced Manufacturing Career Pathways

Posted on: October 8, 2024
Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium partners with Salem Public Schools

News release provided by NAMC

SALEM (Oct. 8 , 2024) – The Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium (NAMC) is pleased to announce the addition of Mikayla Konopka to its team of talented professionals.

Ms. Konopka is an experienced and collaborative Career Advisor who will work with students at Salem, Peabody, and Reading High Schools to introduce them to exciting career pathways in the advanced manufacturing industry. These pathways include engineering, welding, advanced manufacturing, robotics, electromechanical, and quality control.

“We are truly delighted to welcome Mikayla Konopka to NAMC in this important, newly-created capacity,” said NAMC Executive Director Maryanne Ham. “She has the ideal credentials and background for the role. Her enthusiasm for working with students to help them plan and prepare for their professional future will be of immense value to them.”

Ms. Konopka expressed her excitement about starting this rewarding new position. “This is a nice role for me to transition into,” she said. “I love working with students, being out and about, helping students be successful, and making an impact. Growing student perspectives and helping support them along the way is vital to me.”

She added, “I’m very student-focused. I also enjoy working with teachers, staff, and members of the community.”

Ms. Konopka brings a wealth of impressive educational credentials and directly applicable experience to this high-profile position. She has a bachelor of Social Work with a Human Behaviors and Social Services Minor from Michigan State University, and a Master of Social Work, Children, Youth, and Families Concentration, Trauma Certificate from Boston College.

She was a Program Coordinator and Career Specialist for the Boston Private Industry Council from January 2022 to September 2023. Ms. Konopka also served that organization as Employer Engagement Manager from June 2023 to September 2023.

Most recently, she was Program Coordinator of Career Exploration & Planning at North Shore Community College in Lynn from October 2023 until joining NAMC.

Her responsibilities as Career Advisor in the three high schools will be varied and will include involvement with key stakeholders such as industry partners, parents, teachers and students.

She plans to collaborate with school faculty and administrators to integrate manufacturing-related curriculum and activities into the academic program, facilitate workshops, seminars, and career exploration events, organize and/or participate in conferences, workshops, and events, and facilitate workshops for various audiences.

Ms. Konopka will also be focusing on industry engagement. For example, she will build and maintain partnerships with local manufacturing companies, industry associations, and workforce development organizations, as well as arrange site visits, guest speaker sessions, and internship opportunities to expose students to real-world manufacturing environments and career experiences.

Yet another aspect of Ms. Konopka’s role will entail career readiness. This encompasses guiding students through the application process for manufacturing training programs available at NAMC’s partnered training sites, resume writing, interview preparation, and job search strategies tailored to manufacturing careers, and providing ongoing support and encouragement as needed.

About NAMC

The Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium (NAMC) is a successful collaborative partnership led by the MassHire Metro North, Merrimack Valley, Greater Lowell, and North Shore workforce boards. NAMC is dedicated to serving the workforce needs of the Northeast Massachusetts Advanced Manufacturing industry. Partners in this consortium include the MassHire Career Centers, local technical high schools, community colleges, and other educational institutions, community based organizations, various public and private funders and northeast advanced manufacturing companies.

NAMC serves more than 200 area manufacturers and job seekers providing free training for dynamic 21st-century careers in Advanced Manufacturing. Intensive, hands-on instruction in key areas like Welding, CNC Machining and Robotics is offered, led by highly experienced professionals who guide students through each learning module at a pace that is comfortable and accessible for them. Guidance to programs that provide high school equivalency, math fundamentals, help for English Language Learners and study skills is available as well. Job readiness, including resume writing, interviewing preparation and linkages to employers, is done through MassHire Career Centers. With an 85% placement rate, program graduates can anticipate a career with exciting potential in a burgeoning profession.

NAMC registered apprenticeships provide another real-world, hands-on dimension of the training experience. They can be tailored to meet any employer’s requirements. These apprenticeships are valuable to employees in various disciplines who wish to cultivate their skills. For example, administrators, those with office positions and maintenance workers can benefit tremendously from this opportunity, along with professionals already in the Advanced Manufacturing industry.

For more information, please visit The Northeast Advanced Manufacturing Consortium (NAMC).

About Salem Public Schools

Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are all passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens we view all of our work through. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff serve all of our students, regardless of ability or language. Salem Public Schools enrolls approximately 4,000 students across its eleven schools.

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