On Tuesday, Ogden-area students had an opportunity to learn more about these burgeoning opportunities with the very first aerospace and defense career exploration event at Ben Lomond High School.

Donald Mendenhall, Ogden School District Work-Based Learning Coordinator, told the Standard-Examiner that the district was approached about the prospect of having an event like this.

“Apogee Worx is one of our local aerospace and defense companies in the area,” he said. “They’re part of 47G, which is the aerospace and defense association for the state, and they want to help students learn about the careers and opportunities that 47G, or aerospace and defense, offers them.”

Tuesday’s career event attracted 120 students from the Ogden School District’s high schools and junior high schools along with Weber School District’s Innovation High School and Fremont High School and included appearances by 22 industry and education partners from the region.

“Our industry partners initially wanted to work just with our high schools,” Mendenhall said. “I helped them understand that our junior high students start to select different classes that lead them down different career pathways in junior high, so they allowed us to bring our junior highs here.”

During the event, 47G CEO and President Aaron Stark also addressed students about the potential careers surrounding them.

“Five years after high school — seven years, perhaps — if you were to go to work for an aerospace and defense company, you could be making $100,000 as a 24-year-old,” he said. “A lot of you probably want to grow up, get married, have kids, want to have a house, want to be able to travel. There is not a better industry in the entire world than aerospace and defense because it’s stable and it’s higher paying wages than just about any other industry in Utah. And guess what? All of the 200 companies we’re working with are hiring.”

Ben Lomond High School Junior Ivan Silva said it was an eye-opening day for him.

“There’s so much industry, so many companies, a lot to see, a lot to learn,” he said. “This is a great opportunity. It’s opened my eyes to what’s possible and what can be done.”

Mendenhall said he was happy with how the event went on Tuesday.

“I think there’s a lot of good energy here in the room,” he said. “The industry partners brought some exciting and interesting technology.”

He said it’s especially important to put students in touch with the lucrative career fields that the region offers.

“We’ve got so many advanced manufacturing companies here,” he said. “Not all of them are working with aerospace and defense, but a lot of the things that students learn in advanced manufacturing can be applied to aerospace and defense or some of our pharmaceutical manufacturing companies, some of our food manufacturing companies locally. Our students, if they want to stay in the county, advanced manufacturing and aerospace and defense is a great opportunity for them to earn high wages in a great career.”

Mendenhall said plans are to hold the aerospace and defense career event at Ben Lomond High School on a yearly basis.