Oatey Co., a manufacturer in the plumbing industry since 1916, recently hosted a career education workshop for Connecticut Girl Scouts at its Farmington, Connecticut, location, welcoming nearly 30 scouts to learn about careers in manufacturing and STEM. 

The program was organized by Oatey’s Women’s Resource Network, an associate resource group dedicated to the professional, personal and leadership development of women. Oatey developed the event as part of the Girl Scouts’ BADGE BOSS program, which connects local professionals with Girl Scouts to share their expertise, advice and passion, while enabling the scouts to earn a relevant Girl Scout badge. After piloting a similar event at the Oatey University facility in Cleveland last year, members of the Women’s Resource Network in Farmington took the lead on a program in their own community. 

Attendees at Oatey’s workshop, which took place on Nov. 9, gained hands-on exposure to careers across manufacturing, while also exploring their own interests and passions. Key components of the two-hour workshop included:

• A panel discussion in which Oatey associates explained their roles in the development and delivery of Oatey products
• An overview of plastic tubular manufacturing and commercialization 
• A hands-on plastic tubular engineering challenge, in which Girl Scouts applied problem-solving skills to determine the most efficient way to move an object 

All Girl Scouts who completed the workshop qualified for either a Junior Business Jumpstart Badge or a Cadette Business Creator Badge.

“Oatey’s Women’s Resource Network is pleased that we could expand our partnership with the Girl Scouts through our second STEM Career Education Workshop,” says Dawn Lawson, co-chair of the event and associate at Oatey’s Farmington location. 

Kelly O’Donovan, also co-chair of the event and an Oatey associate in Farmington, adds, “It is critical to educate girls and women about the robust STEM career opportunities available to them, including the development of products we use every day. It was a joy to welcome the Girl Scouts to our facility and share our passion for what we do.”