by Bernard Martin

On July 24, 2024, Laurie Barcaskey, President of Leading Marks LLC, helped to lead a "Foundry in a Box" workshop at BotsIQ as part of the "Girls Exploring Engineering" program. This session focused on metal manufacturing and offered young women a unique, hands-on experience in the world of engineering and foundry work.

BotsIQ, a workforce development program by the Pittsburgh Chapter National Tooling & Machining Foundation, nurtures youth’s interest in manufacturing careers. The program offers hands-on learning experiences to foster STEM education, provides technical resources to schools, and connects students with industry mentors. BotsIQ aims to bridge the skills gap and build a competent future manufacturing workforce, making it the perfect setting for this workshop.

The "Foundry in a Box" workshop was one of the highlights of a weeklong camp dedicated to encouraging girls to explore various engineering fields. Joining Duraloy Technologies, Laurie Barcaskey, helped to guide the participants through the "Foundry in a Box" process, a program sourced from the American Foundry Society and the Foundry Education Foundation. This collaboration aimed to introduce the fundamentals of metal casting in a fun and interactive way.

The participants had the opportunity to design and create their 3-D printed patterns, which were then used in the foundry process during the workshop. This not only allowed the girls to engage with advanced manufacturing technology but also to witness the transformation of their designs into tangible metal products.

The "Foundry in a Box" workshop provided a valuable introduction to the metal manufacturing industry, sparking interest and enthusiasm among the young attendees. By offering such hands-on experiences, programs like these play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of engineers and innovators.

Leading Marks is proud to have been a part of this initiative, helping to empower and inspire the future leaders in engineering.

BotsIQ is a manufacturing workforce development program of the Pittsburgh Chapter National Tooling & Machining Foundation whose goal is to provide a pathway for youth to learn about rewarding career options in manufacturing.

Identifying and developing a career plan is a challenge for students.  BotsIQ holds a pivotal position as a workforce development program that attracts smart, capable students who love to build things and solve problems — exactly the type of people that will comprise the future manufacturing workforce.
Through BotsIQ,

• Students work together in a fascinating real-world professional manufacturing model.
• Students gain in-demand technical skills like mechanical engineering and design, electrical engineering, machining, 3D printing, and more.
• Each participating school is paired with a local manufacturing company to serve as their industry mentor and learn about the potential for a career in manufacturing

Come and see what these high school students can accomplish or better yet, volunteer to help out.

You can also meet with Laurie Barcaskey, President of Leading Marks. Laurie is volunteering at this event that runs from April 28-29, 2023, 7:30AM – 6:00PM

When people ask me what I do to earn a living and respond that I sell industrial identification systems, aka marking,  people often give me a puzzled look and ask “What is that?”

Their enthusiasm to plan and build something and then compete with other high schools at the annual Bots Tournament in southwestern PA is exciting and fun.

​The mechanical and life skills the students gain is critical to setting them up for success as they look for jobs, attend trade school, or seek degrees.  The suppliers and manufacturers who support them gain direct insight to future employees and the local educational systems and networking opportunities with other professionals. It is a win-win for everyone.

Becoming Women Business Enterprise (WBE) certified opens the doors to opportunities with government and large corporations who value diverse suppliers. This certification also enables me to encourage young women involved in the SW Bots program or just starting their careers within manufacturing and construction. While these industries are inviting more women to be a part of their organizations, there are still many more efforts needed to diversify and level the playing field.

Now that you know all of this about me and a bit of the background of Leading Marks, what is the solution we can help you with?

Come and see what these high school students can accomplish or better yet, volunteer to help out.

You can also meet with Laurie Barcaskey, President of Leading Marks. Laurie is volunteering at this event that runs from April 13 @ 8:00 am – April 14 @ 5:00 pm.

There will surely be tons of sparks and lots of excitement!

Complete our registration form to let us know you will be joining us!

Southwestern Pennsylvania BotsIQ is a manufacturing workforce development program of the Pittsburgh Chapter National Tooling & Machining Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

The program is affiliated with the National Robotics League and is managed by New Century Careers.

BotsIQ is a manufacturing workforce development program whose goal is to provide a pathway for high school students to learn about rewarding career options in manufacturing.

This is accomplished by inviting students to participate in an exciting, hands-on high school robotics competition.