Six Butler Intermediate High School students won two of five awards in the Catalyst Connection “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing?” video contest.

They won the viewers choice category after receiving the most votes in an online poll and also won the also won the “Best Manufacturing Message.”

Seventh- and eighth- graders Katie Ban, Vanessa Drohan, Ryan McLister, Ali Morrow, Lauren Mortimer and Lucas Slear produced a video featuring Butler Technologies — a printed electronics services provider.

Catalyst Connection provided the students with equipment, including a camera, tripod and microphone to create the video.

The video was entirely filmed and produced by students in Breit Cochran’s TV and Video Production class. They visited BTI twice to tour the facility and record footage and interviews with employees there.

“The idea of the video was to let people see that local manufacturing still exists and to promote the idea of local manufacturing and show the types of jobs that are in manufacturing in the region” Cochran said.

The manufacturing industry has greatly evolved over time. Today there are a variety of high-quality manufacturing jobs. The purpose of the video competition is to make young people aware of the opportunities.

“Our video shows that manufacturing is not just the grit and grim jobs of our grandfathers,” said Cochran. “It’s a career opportunity that requires new and educated employees to fill a variety of jobs.”

It was the first year that Butler students participated in the contest and Cochran said they hope to do it again.

The wins were announced Feb. 21 at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field.