COLORADO SPRINGS — On National Manufacturing Day, the company Allegion invited over 140 students from schools in the area to get an insight into how their locks are created. The company also hopes to encourage more of those students to consider a career in manufacturing.
"We are focused on locks and access technologies, so the security of the door, and the access to the door from a mechanical and electronic perspective," said Plant Manager Dan Geoffroy.
The company employs over 500 workers at the Colorado Springs location and produces 20,000 units per day. Geoffroy says that equates to millions every year. The company's locks can be used for residential purposes, and also for government buildings like the Pentagon.
"As I watched the students and listened to them today, I think they were very surprised with just the large numbers of opportunities that were available," said Director of Innovation and Alternative Learning with Widefield School District 3 Shane Skalla.
Allegion is looking to bridge a skills gap in the workforce, noting that it has only grown since manufacturing jobs were moved overseas.
"There was a gap for about 20 years, where a lot of things were being outsourced outside of the United States. A lot of those things are coming back into the country, and we're trying to energize the next generation of the workforce to get into manufacturing," said Geoffroy. "Because as technologies advance, as new things develop, it continues to increase the knowledge base for new people coming in, and the younger generation is fantastic at that".
Senior at Mesa Ridge High School Ashton Lowman was one of many students who toured that plant and was happy to learn about the process. He says he's interested in pursuing a career in manufacturing.
"It just looks like a door and lock, but when they show you how to make it and everything it's pretty cool," said Lowman. "Seems like a fun job to do".
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