How One Plastics Professional Sparked a Passion for Manufacturing at His Local School

Like many of his peers in the plastics industry, Jamestown Plastics CEO Jay Baker has struggled to find skilled workers. The shortage is only going to worsen, he figured, as more manufacturing is reshored to the United States. The solution is obvious — nurture an interest in manufacturing among young people — but getting the local school district on board seemed insurmountable. Then he had an epiphany. What has been accomplished since then in the Chautauqua Lake Central School in western New York could serve as a model for other communities.