What started as a basic CPR training has now blossomed into a full internship program between Kautex San Antonio and Brooks Academy of Science & Engineering (BASE), a local K-12 charter school. Meredith Mulder, Director of Operations, took a CPR class last year and was introduced to a BASE teacher, who then connected her with the Robotics department. After guest speaking at a Robotics event and conducting weekly meetings around partnership opportunities, together they designed a high school curriculum where the students spend their career prep free period working and getting exposure at the San Antonio facility. They spend 10 hours a week for 3 months working with departments based on the students' interests - Mechanical Engineering, Quality, IT, EHS, and more.
The goal of the program is to give these students exposure to real world jobs, which will give them an advantage in the future when entering the workforce, applying for vocational programs, or enrolling in college. The relationship between BASE and KTX continues to grow, with Mulder visiting the school to speak to Engineering students about her career path, opportunities at Kautex, and manufacturing in general.
At the end of the month, Kautex will also have a booth at the BASE STEMfest, which is open to students, family, and the community.The internship program is just another way that employees at Kautex San Antonio are serving their community while also promoting opportunities at Kautex. These students are gaining invaluable real world work experience, and it will only serve to benefit them in the future.