STEM camp at NAS Jacksonville Wednesday address real workforce shortage’ with hands-on drills

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Forty-eight of the best and brightest high schoolers from across the nation took to Naval Air Station Jax Wednesday morning for a day of fun, hands-on, STEM-related drills. It marked part of a week-long STEM, engineering, and construction camp that gives students like Dillon Morgan and Lauren Wilhelm the skills they need when entering the workforce.

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“It just kind of sharpens like my math skills, dimensions, teamwork, and skills and things of that nature,” Morgan said to Action News Jax.

“I’ve definitely learned some good skills at this camp, especially with what will happen in a career at some point,” added Wilhelm.

The activities at camp on Wednesday, including one where students simulated fixing a leaking pipe on a ship, not only provide valuable hands-on skills to these high schoolers entering the workforce but address a growing need in the Jacksonville labor market.

“I would say Jacksonville’s one of the hardest places to actually find engineers and architects and there’s a real workforce shortage,” said Jeffrey Killian, Business Director for NAVFAC Southeast. “So that’s why the military’s trying to get involved as early as possible.”

Students also got an up-close look at NAS Jax’s UAV program, learning how to maintain, repair, and operate the unmanned aerial vehicles that prove vital in the wake of hurricanes and natural disasters in Northeast Florida.

“We can provide to emergency operators on the ground exactly where they can and can’t operate,” explained Southeast GIS Operator Adam Kerr. “Specifically several years ago, we flew to Naval Station Mayport within several hours of a hurricane and provided accurate data for the restoration of operations to that installation.”

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