Whitko Career Academy launches two-year precision machining program with local manufacturers

Chris Leonard, director of the Whitko Career Academy, announced a two-year precision machining program that he said will begin in the 2025–26 school year and is built in partnership with area school districts, manufacturers and philanthropic foundations.

Leonard framed the initiative as a chance to link education and industry to prepare students for careers in manufacturing. He named participating districts and school leaders and thanked foundational funders, including the Don Wood Foundation and the Whitley County Community Foundation, for enabling the academy’s broader offerings.

"This will be a 2 year program," Leonard said, describing a pathway in which juniors spend four days a week in project-based curriculum at the academy and one day a week working alongside business specialists. "The second year of the program will include a business interview and a work based learning opportunity for the students in the program from one of our local business partners," he said.

Leonard said students will apply and be selected through academic criteria and an interview process, and that each quarter participants will visit the facilities of partnering companies to observe manufacturing processes firsthand. He described employer buy-in as "unprecedented," saying businesses hope to help develop "a lifelong employee" who fits their operations.

A business representative who spoke at the event said his company views machinists and operators as its workforce backbone and intends to bring students into their shop to show "real world manufacturing." "We're excited to partner with the program," the presenter said, calling the academy facility an especially strong training environment.

Another presenter with long experience in career-technical education stressed the importance of exposing students to multiple manufacturing areas and of helping them understand how to use equipment to move into careers after graduation. An education leader at the event emphasized "relationships and wellness," saying the program ties student interests to industry needs and can create excitement about postsecondary options.

Leonard listed participating organizations and representatives introduced during the announcement: Paragon Medical LaminTech (Sean Miller); MicroPulse (Josh Monosmith, president, and Bailey Meissmeyer, human resources manager); CNA Tool (Tom Breyer, vice president of operations, and Jan Leach, human resources); OrthoWorks (David Allen Decker and Brooke Kreidberg); the Whitley County Community Foundation (CEO September McConnell); and Don Wood Foundation staff (Lisa Smith and Nadine Baker). He also acknowledged outreach support from the office of Jim Banks (Tanner Spencer).

Leonard invited attendees to tour the machining lab after the announcement and said light refreshments were available. Additional enrollment dates, cohort size and specific internship employers were not specified at the event; Leonard said those details would be provided by the academy and partner schools as planning continues.

The academy opened five years ago with donor support to host CTE tracks in precision machining, welding, engineering and other trades; Leonard said the new program builds on that foundation to strengthen local workforce pipelines.

Next steps: the academy and district partners will finalize selection and placement details and communicate how students should apply; no formal vote or board action occurred at the announcement.