THE NEXT GENERATION OF MOLDMAKING

Published 10/28/2025

MMT Chat: True Industry/Education Partnership Demands “Consistent Persistence”

High school teachers often ask, "How can I find a company willing to partner with me?" This question may seem straightforward, but establishing a genuine partnership with a local high school to address the skills gap requires ongoing commitment and consistent communication. Electroform, based in Rockford, IL, and Hononegah High School have made that commitment.

Christina Fuges

Editorial Director, MoldMaking Technology

Watch this to discover how industry-school collaborations can address the manufacturing workforce shortage with real-world impact.

You’ll learn how Hononegah High School’s engineering and machining program equips students with practical skills through classroom work and a mold builder partnership, where they help build a paper clip mold with Electroform. Hear how this hands-on project teaches precision, quality control and machining basics, bridging classroom theory to industry standards.

You’ll also hear the call for industry to commit time and resources to build our talent pipeline. You’ll see how mistakes, like misaligned holes, become learning opportunities, preparing students for technical careers or college.

Finally, you’ll get advice on how to take that first step to developing your own local high school partnership.

For More MMT Chats, Click Here.

Related Content

Business Strategy 10 Sep 2024

Making Mentoring Work | MMT Chat Part 2

Three of the TK Mold and Engineering team in Romeo, Michigan join me for Part 2 of this MMT Chat on mentorship by sharing how the AMBA’s Meet a Mentor Program works, lessons learned (and applied) and the way your shop can join this effort.

Data Management Software 26 Jun 2025

Tooling 4.0: Connecting Industry 4.0 Technology to Your Molds and Molding Process

A packaging supplier applies Industry 4.0 technology to its injection molds so that components talk to each another to understand the dynamics of what is happening inside the mold.

Regulations 13 Sep 2024

The Critical Role of Management Representatives in ISO 9001

In ISO 9001 quality management systems, the Management Representative (MR) plays a crucial role. While the 2015 version of ISO 9001 no longer mandates this position, having a trusted management member serve as an MR remains vital for streamlining operations and maintaining quality standards.

FAQ 1 Apr 2024

Mold Design Review: The Complete Checklist

Gerardo (Jerry) Miranda III, former global tooling manager for Oakley sunglasses, reshares his complete mold design checklist, an essential part of the product time and cost-to-market process.

Workforce Development

Electroform and Hononegah High School Partner for Hands-On Moldmaking Education

Electroform teamed up with Hononegah High School to give engineering and manufacturing students a hands-on moldmaking experience — including the design process, machining of components, assembly and mold sampling.

Leadership

AMBA Announces 2025 Mold Builder and Tooling Trailblazer of the Year Award Recipients, Emerging Leaders Rising Star Award

AMBA presented Robert Earnhardt, Superior Tooling with the 2025 Mold Builder of the Year Award and Electroform Company Inc. with the 2025 Tooling Trailblazer of the Year Award during this year's AMBA Conference, May 7-9 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The second annual 2025 Emerging Leaders Rising Star Award was won by Austin Sykora, Vincent Tool.