Career Exploration

MFG U: Applied Engineering

Put Your Ideas to Work

Do you like building, making, testing, fixing, or turning an idea into something you can actually see and use? Those strengths can lead to college programs in applied engineering, engineering technology, and related fields. Manufacturers rely on people with these skills to design and improve products, troubleshoot equipment and processes, solve production problems, and turn ideas into practical solutions. MFG U: Applied Engineering gives you two weeks to experience that kind of hands-on learning while seeing how these skills are used in real manufacturing environments.

A student in safety glasses operates a milling machine in a machine shop.

What You’ll Do

During the camp, you’ll:

  • Build a working steam engine from scratch
  • Create products using ceramics, wood, and 3D printing
  • Apply problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills to hands-on projects
  • Tour local manufacturing companies and see equipment and processes in action
  • Learn more about your strengths, what motivates you, and how those qualities connect to future education and career decisions
  • Have the opportunity to earn the Certified Manufacturing Associate credential from SME

See Where These Skills Can Take You

You’ll also have opportunities to:

  • Experience what hands-on learning at a college can be like
  • Explore applied engineering and related areas of study
  • Meet people who can answer questions about engineering and college
  • See how people with technical and engineering skills solve problems for manufacturers
  • Discover different ways engineering skills can be used after college
  • Build an experience you can highlight on college and scholarship applications

Is This Camp for You?

If you learn best by building, making, testing, and figuring things out, MFG U: Applied Engineering can help you explore college majors that match those strengths, and see how they can lead to careers where you get to put ideas into practice.