Charleston, WV, March 10, 2021 – The Explore the New Manufacturing Program announced today that nominations would be accepted for two distinguished awards, the Emerging Elite in Manufacturing Award and the Outstanding Industry Educator Award.

The Explore Program is seeking nominations for West Virginia high school students and educators who have exceled in career readiness fields, technical education, and STEM classes that focus on manufacturing careers. Nominations will also be accepted for middle schools that creatively engage students in career literacy programing.

Here’s your chance to nominate West Virginia high school students and educators who excel in career readiness fields, technical education, and STEM classes that focus on manufacturing careers. Nominations will also be accepted for middle schools that creatively engage students in career literacy programing.

Does your company need a more qualified pool of candidates and enough skilled applicants for entry level positions?

The employment opportunities within the West Virginia manufacturing industry are rich and diverse. Yet, positions remain unfilled, waiting for qualified applicants, while many training programs struggle with low enrollment. Statistics tell us students don’t deliberately avoid training programs nor industry careers. Most are unaware they exist.

On September 20, 2017, during its 14-day run, Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, leaving destruction and devastation in its wake. Afterward, the hurricane's impact reverberated far beyond Puerto Rico's borders, and its ripples continued well after it made landfall. Three months later, in late December, my dad had a heart attack, a catalytic event that sent his health plummeting through a multi-week downward spiral. Each 24-hour cycle brought a dizzying array of testing, procedures, and diagnoses, his life primarily supported by tubes and machines. As he slipped through different layers of consciousness, his weight began to wither away from the lack of sustenance. Medical practitioners voiced concern about the capacity to feed him intravenously due to limited supplies. We heard their trepidation about shortages of IV bags and other medical supplies due to the wreckage Hurricane Maria caused to the manufacturing facilities in Puerto Rico that produce them. Although Hurricane Maria never hit West Virginia, we were now feeling its aftermath and hearing the rattling of the missing links within supply chains. When a simple plastic bag or IV supplementation might stand between whether a loved one lives or not, manufacturing gets personal very quickly.

It’s finally 2021.  Time for a fresh start, right?

Yet, we’re still dealing with a pandemic, inconsistencies, and few things work like they used to. A fundamental philosophy the Explore team has operated under during the last year is to be open and adaptable when hiccups occur and innovative in making the situation better.

This simple concept encourages creative energy and a proactive approach to getting the job done. We want to hear from our manufacturers and educators how they are rolling with the punches and helping employees and students through this challenging time.

Send us your stories by emailing us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Make sure to check out the new Director’s Notes, When Alternatives Aren't Acceptable?