The Raymond Corp. welcomed more than 150 high school students from nine schools across Southern New York for its first Engineering Day May 17.

The Greene, N.Y.-based lift truck manufacturer said it launched the program to give students a hands-on look at the variety of career opportunities available in engineering. The event featured more than 12 interactive exhibits, including 3D printing, modeling, and analysis; augmented reality technology; simulation of the company's iWAREHOUSE forklift fleet management system; and its Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator, a tool for training new fork truck operators.

Raymond executives said the day offered students and teachers a look at engineering in action—right in their own backyard.

"At Raymond, our goal is to inspire students with engaging, hands-on learning experiences—from various areas of the engineering field—that they otherwise may not be able to experience in the classroom," said Erric Heitmann, Raymonds' vice president of engineering. "Engineering has a great number of disciplines that many don't even realize. We are excited to showcase them and demonstrate how they are used right here at our facility, from computer engineering to manufacturing engineering—and beyond."

Many of the event's attendees are involved in high school engineering programs, such as Project Lead The Way (PLTW) and Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH), according to Raymond. PLTW is a national program that prepares students for careers in engineering and engineering technology careers, as well as for postsecondary education in science, technology, engineering, and math. P-TECH is a state program that prepares students to earn an associates degree in either computer technology, engineering technology, or health studies while working toward their high school diploma.