Student Center

Welcome to the Student Center, your link to building a career in metal forming and fabricating. Learn about available scholarships, find salary information for different careers in metal forming, and even find manufacturing camps and schools to prepare for your career.

Watch the official FIRST Robotics safety video—

How Steel Is Made

Watch a video that outlines the basic processes used in making steel. It follows the process from the raw material stage through various finishing methods, highlighting the sophisticated technology used in today's steelmaking.

See how products are formed
out of metal

Watch videos on careers in manufacturing including Manufacturing Now, Challenge of Manufacturing, and Engineering Making it Work. Also see videos on assembly, bending, clinching, hydroforming, punching, sheering, stamping, and welding.

Manufacturing Summer Camps

Create 3-D design on a computer (CAD), transfer the design to a computer numeric control (CNC) machine, take the finished product home after it's built, and tour local companies to see if you can do this for a good living! Sound exciting?

This is the basic premise of 26 manufacturing camps funded by the FMA Foundation this summer and the Foundation's goal of 100 camps by summer 2009. Find out if there is a camp near you.

Careers

Tremendous opportunities are available within the field of metal forming and fabricating. The following links will take you to specific job categories at the U.S. Department of Labor will detail the nature of the work, working conditions, training required, other qualifications, current employment statistics, job outlook projections, and earnings potential for each job category.

Trade Schools, Colleges, and Universities

Utilize our search to find a school with a program that fits your needs and leads to a career in fabricating.

FMA Foundation Scholarships

Scholarship funds are available to students seeking careers in manufacturing. Meet the FMA Foundation's most recent award winners, learn about the eligibility criteria, and download an application today. Click here for more information.

Students Talk to Students

Brennan Palmiter is a 16-year old race car driver sponsored by FMA for the 2008 season. He's simultaneously enrolled in high school and a community college program in welding technology and will graduate next year with both a high school diploma and welding certification. He talks to students whenever he can about the great career opportunities in welding and manufacturing.
Listen to his recently recorded podcast.
Learn more about his racing.

Lauren Hockin is currently a college student in Canada, studying engineering as an FMA scholarship recipient. Listen to her recent podcast.

FMA Foundation Scholarship Winners

The FMA Foundation proudly announces its scholarship winners for the 2008-2009 academic year. These 31 awards, totaling $110,500, will help cover the cost of tuition, fees, and books for students enrolled in programs leading to careers in manufacturing. See the FMAF Scholarship winners in the slide show at right.

Dream It. Do It. Campaign

Visit the Dream It - Do It Campaign of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Take the Dream Career Quiz, see Career Profiles, use the Career Calculator, or simply check out the Cool Videos of Stuff Being Made.