New scholarship for Gateway students encourages study of advanced manufacturing


A Gateway Community and Technical College student is the first recipient of a new scholarship for students enrolled in the college's advanced manufacturing program.
 
The VonLehman Scholarship in Advanced Manufacturing is offered each semester by the VonLehman Company, a tax and accounting firm with offices throughout the tristate area. Many of their clients are involved in manufacturing and distribution, and the company is an active partner with Gateway. VonLehman hosts a Partners for Industry event with Gateway each year to discuss the state of manufacturing in Kentucky, trends in the field and insights on day-to-day problems industry participants may face.
 
Second-year Gateway student Brian Wardia was awarded the scholarship at the Partners for Industry event in November and just received his first $750 check to start the spring semester.
 
Advanced manufacturing involves applying innovative, cutting-edge technologies to the manufacturing process and is a rapidly growing field, specifically in Northern Kentucky. The region alone is home to 70 advanced manufacturing companies with a workforce requirement of as many as 6,000 skilled workers. Most of the jobs require more than a high school diploma.
 
Gateway offers six advanced manufacturing majors, including Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Computerized Manufacturing and Machining and Industrial Maintenance Technology, among others.
 
The VonLehman Scholarship is open only to full-time Gateway advanced manufacturing majors who have maintained a GPA of 2.5 or above. Wardia, this year's happy recipient, is from Erlanger.
 
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