51萝莉

Gabby Zenteno just started the eighth grade at Vineyard STEM Magnet School in Ontario, but she鈥檚 already learning how to design rollercoasters and wants to one day build airplanes and vehicles.

鈥淲hen I was in the sixth grade, I knew I wanted to be an engineer because I love building,鈥� she said.

Gabby was one of hundreds of students who gathered at the 51萝莉 Industrial Technical Learning Center in Fontana on Friday for .

From robot dogs, to welding simulators and more 鈥� innovation could be found all around at the center, where middle- and high school students came from Fontana, Upland, Montclair, Rialto, Colton, Grand Terrace, Jurupa Valley, Yucaipa and Ontario schools. The event aims to highlight modern manufacturing careers and inspire future workers.

Manufacturing involves the mechanical, physical or chemical transformation of materials, substances or components into new products, according to the . Jobs include industrial maintenance and robotics technicians, machinists, welders and more.

Kaiser High School automotive instructor George Mendoza brought nine of his students to check out the event, which also features information on automotive technology career paths. Mendoza said students in his class get more than just instruction in diagnostics and maintenance in his classes. They have access to job opportunities being part of the Ford Automotive Career Exploration program.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a pipeline program, and we have between one and three students per year who receive internships. They receive jobs if they do well,鈥� he said.

Joel Osegueda, a senior in the Yucaipa High School engineering academy, says he wants to support national security for the Space Force after high school, managing satellites and radar. He came to Manufacturing Day to explore career paths. But he also sought inspiration for a business he wants to launch after serving his country.

鈥淚 want to invent robot trash cans for senior citizens, because not all seniors have the ability to take out the trash,鈥� he said.

About 25 area employers, including Mission Foods, FedEx, Howmet Aerospace, Bbraun Medical and California Steel Industries-Nucor met with students and talked to them about career paths. InTech faculty spoke about careers with a focus in robotics, industrial electrical and mechanical in the center鈥檚 labs.

Several current students from Chaffey's Chino industrial electrical technology and mechatronics program participated in demonstrations for the visitors too, including Alexander Estrada and Rodolfo Briones. The pair created a device called 鈥淭rick or Treat鈥� just in time for Halloween. They configured a point-of-sale device to allow visitors to choose 鈥渢rick鈥� 鈥� triggering several machines to flash lights and move, or 鈥渢reat鈥� 鈥� commanding a robot arm to pick up a piece of candy and deliver it to the user.

Briones said he wishes he could have had access to an event like Manufacturing Day when he was younger so he could have started his journey in his 20s rather than his 30s.

鈥淭o explain this to them, I feel like I鈥檓 doing a service that I never had,鈥� he said.