My name is Wes Wilber and I recently started an internship at Hardinge focusing on gaining experience in the machining and manufacturing industry and learning about how marketing strategies are applied. I would like to share some of my experiences over the past two weeks.
Coming into Hardinge I had no idea what to expect, I wasn’t familiar with manufacturing or Hardinge’s role in manufacturing, but during my very first day I was able to learn an immense number of things. Upon arrival and my orientation tour I saw hundreds of machines and employees, all working on different tasks that formed a process to make different things. I had originally thought Hardinge was more focused on manufacturing one type of machine or product, but during the tour I learned just how broad the diversity of work their work is. Currently, I’m a Junior at Elmira High School and during this time I have never been educated on manufacturing. After my first week at Hardinge, I was blown away by the number of things I had learned. Most high school students like me don’t realize how vital manufacturing is and what purpose it serves. I think that the biggest thing I have learned about the manufacturing side of Hardinge would be the processes that go into making even just one product.
After my second week at Hardinge I can now say that I am confident in explaining the functions of the workholding side of Hardinge and I have gained so much knowledge about the company in many different aspects by sitting in on meetings, exploring the website and watching employees run machines. I learned the technical differences between machines such as the T-Series SUPER-PRECISION lathe and the Swiss-made Grinders, all have technology advancements Hardinge has made with these machines in recent years. The vast number of things I have learned here in just two weeks is astonishing and I am excited to continue to gain even more knowledge and experience as I continue my internship.
I found myself wanting an internship specifically at Hardinge because of the endless opportunities here and was surprised to learn of the various Global opportunities at Hardinge as well. Careers like, engineering, machining, marketing, human resources, sales, packaging, shipping, and cleaning. The list goes on and on. I wanted to gain skills in marketing and since coming here I have learned so much from my co-workers and the assignments that have been given to me. I think this will continue to be an excellent opportunity for other high school students like me to help gain real world experience. Those who are curious about manufacturing would be a great fit to intern at Hardinge and learn more than you ever would in just a classroom.
