Gates Receives Denver Public Schools Partnership Award

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May 09, 2017, 11:00 ET

DENVER, May 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Gates Corporation, a global diversified manufacturer of industrial and automotive products, has been recognized as the Denver Public School's (DPS) CareerSpark Partner of the Year. The CareerSpark Industry Exploration Program partners with Denver businesses to expose middle school students to professional work environments and inspires them to consider careers in STEM industries.

Gates was honored at the DPS CareerConnect Partnership Recognition Breakfast on Thursday, April 27 in Denver, Colorado and was nominated for its work in developing and hosting a customized curriculum for middle school students. Over the years, the company has recognized a growing need for skilled manufacturing workers in the United States and other industrialized countries. With the goals of addressing this need, supporting its manufacturing partners, and the manufacturing industry in general by introducing young people to the benefits of the various careers available in manufacturing, Gates developed the "Empowering Creators" program.

Karis Morrall, Communications & Partnerships Manager for the DPS CareerConnect program commented, "The awards committee was very impressed by the thoughtful, engaging workshop that Gates held for our middle school students."

Working with the Colorado Advanced Manufacturing Alliance (CAMA) throughout the 2016 school year, the program has hosted over 200 7^th and 8^th Grade students at the company's Englewood, Colorado technical laboratory facility. During the all-day workshops, students took active roles in developing solutions to real manufacturing challenges related to engineering design, procurement, marketing, finance, and production with positive results. One student wrote, "Thank you for allowing us to have the experience that we did, it opened a lot of new possible career choices for me."

"Exposing these diverse groups of students to the different career pathways the manufacturing sector has to offer was an extremely rewarding experience," said Cindy Cookson, Director Global Product Lines and chair of the Gates "Empowering Creators" committee. The program shows younger students that manufacturing is a good option as a career choice before career planning starts in High School. It is also easily duplicated for implementation in other communities.

About Gates Corporation

Gates Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer of power transmission belts and a premier global manufacturer of fluid power products. Our highly engineered products are critical components used in diverse industrial and automotive applications where the cost of failure is very high relative to the cost of our products. We provide a differentiated value proposition to our customers by offering a complete portfolio of premium product and service solutions for both replacement and first-fit applications across our targeted end markets, which encompass process and specialty, construction, agriculture, energy, transportation, and automotive. We sell our products globally under the Gates brand, which is recognized by distributors, original equipment manufacturers, and installers as the premium brand for quality and technological innovation, a reputation which we have built for over a century since our founding in 1911.

As an engineering leader with a strong foundation in research and development, Gates is committed to advancing the science of motion performance by developing safe, forward-thinking products, services, systems, and solutions, as well as fostering long-term customer and employee relationships. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Gates employs over 14,000 people across 106 locations in 30 countries.

If it moves you, there's a good chance Gates has a part in it.

Gates. Powering Progress.

About CareerSpark

Denver Public Schools' CareerSpark Industry Exploration Program partners with Denver businesses to expose middle school students to professional work environments and inspires them to consider careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) industries.

Through CareerSpark, DPS students learn about careers available within a particular industry and experience aspects of STEM careers through hands-on, engaging activities. They also learn about post-high school educational paths to the careers included in the event.

SOURCE Gates Corporation