Grow QC leads career exploration tours in manufacturing

Grow Quad Cities coordinated two manufacturing tours for students this summer.  

Nineteen high school students participating in the YWCA Quad Cities ThePlace2B Program, toured Black Hawk College’s Manufacturing & Technology Center; and 17 students with the Steam on Wheels summer program and the Boys and Girls Club of the Mississippi Valley, toured Arconic.  

At BHC, students had the opportunity to learn about career pathways in manufacturing and the scholarships available to help them pursue those opportunities at this state-of-the-art facility. Opened in September 2025, the new Career & Technical Education (CTE) hub is dedicated to hands-on training in areas including manufacturing, industrial maintenance, welding, fabrication, grinding, CNC machining, cybersecurity, engineering technology, esports and more. 

At Arconic, students took a tour of the plant and were introduced to the many careers available in casting, forging and supply chains -- including engineering, production operators, mill inspectors, skilled trades and maintenance. 

"Our goal is to make career exploration accessible to every student in the region," said Jamie McLaughlin, Workforce Specialist, Grow Quad Cities. "These tours are a great example of the hands-on experiences that help students learn about local career opportunities, and we're excited to showcase even more of these opportunities through CareerLink QC." 

A special thank you to all of those who helped coordinate the tours: 

• Paul Smith and David Hull, Black Hawk College 
• Lynnette Tarchinski, Arconic  
• Samuel McCullum, STEAM on Wheels 
• Giavanna Schwager, Boys & Girls Club of the Mississippi Valley