By Andy Furman
NKyTribune staff writer
Charles L. Shor is at it again.
This time, at Covington’s Holmes High School.
“We’re learning jobs today,” he told the gathered throng of businesspeople and educators Tuesday morning at the school, “that AI can’t steal.”
Shor was at Holmes to launch SME PRIME at the school, through his Charles L. Shor Foundation.
SME PRIME builds manufacturing and engineering programs inside high schools, with industry-grade equipment, an industry-aligned curriculum, teacher training, support for STEM extracurricular activities, and student scholarships. Students work with CNC machines 3D printers, welding systems, and industrial robotic arms, earning industry-recognized certification that lead directly to in-demand skilled jobs.
The marriage between Holmes High School and business would not happen without the aid of the Charles L. Shor Foundation which is invested in helping individuals enter, sustain and advance within the middle class through skilled trades, durable manufacturing careers and practical economic mobility pathways.
“I grew up in a manufacturing environment,” Shor, the genius behind Duro Bag told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. “I am disappointed that the middle class in our country is down from sixty-two percent in 1976 and less than fifty percent today.
“In China,” he continued, “The middle class is over seventy-five percent of the population. China is a country geared toward building a life for citizens.”
But Charles, why Holmes High School?
“We had a Duro Bag plant on 14th and Madison in Covington,” he said, “And more than that, my mother, aunts and uncles all attended Holmes High School.”
His Charles L. Shor Foundation invests in human potential, data-driven insight, education, employment pathways, and community initiatives to help individuals and families overcome barriers, build stability, and live full thriving lives. At the dedication event Tuesday, attendees got a tour of Holmes’ as-yet unfinished facilities.
At Ludlow High School, the first SME PRIME program the Foundation supported, 26 students enrolled in the fall of 2025 and have already earned multiple industry certifications, with eight regional manufacturing manufacturers partnering with the program.
SME, formerly known as the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, is a nonprofit founded in 1932.
“Our purpose is to inspire, prepare, and support the next generation of manufacturing and engineering talent,” Shelley Wooley, Ed.D. Director, Education Programs, SME Foundation, told the assembled group at the Holmes’ launching.
“We inspire students through experiences like our Student Summits – events where young people engage in hands-on technology activities and competitions as part of SME events held around the country,” she said. “We support students through scholarships. Last year, the Foundation awarded $1.5 million in scholarships to help students pursue education and careers in manufacturing and engineering.”
PRIME stands for Partnership Response in Manufacturing Education. Today SME PRIME is operating in 136 schools across 28 states. And six of those schools – including Holmes High School – are supported through Charlie Shor’s generosity and care.
At Holmes High School, PRIME supports four instructional pathways that include:
• Metrology and Quality
• CAD/CAM
• Additive Manufacturing
• Machining and Fabrication.
And it works.
“Among students who graduate after participating in SME PRIME, 91% tell us they intend to pursue a career in manufacturing or engineering,” Wooley said, “And more than half plan to continue their education through a two-year or four-year college degree related to manufacturing.”
“Our vision is to build a comprehensive pathway that grows with our students – introducing them to exciting career possibilities, equipping them, with increasingly sophisticated technical skills, connecting them to industry professionals, and ultimately preparing them to graduate with valuable credentials, meaningful experiences, and great choices about their futures,” said Cortnei Flucas, Superintendent of Covington Independent Public Schools.
Tanner Rowe, a ninth grader is a perfect example.
“Robotics interest me,” he told the Northern Kentucky Tribune. “I joined the program; just signed up and learned how to design a robot with no restrictions in robot design.”
Angela Turnick, the first-year Holmes Principal – she’s been at the school for 23 years – told the Tribune: “SME PRIME reached out to us. They knew our level of support. Our students are quite eager to learn on new technology. It just makes them more marketable.”
So how does a student join the program?
“At first we had a sign-up,” Turnick, a Notre Dame Academy graduate said, “But we’ll also have a survey to see one’s interest or aptitude for the program.”
Donny Roundtree is a 17-year Holmes instructor and handles the Intro to 3D print Technology class.
“We have 23 students,” he told the Tribune, “Mostly freshmen and sophomores. They study Auto Fusion and earn a certificate.
“3D printing is what is used for robotics. We’ll design our own parts for the robots. To print and design, and then compete with other schools throughout the state, usually in the spring.”
Thomas Burke is a senior in Advanced Carpentry.
“I love hands-on projects,” he told the Tribune. “Next year I plan on joining the work force, possibly in construction.”
And, please, let’s not forget the ladies.
This was Sarah Bier’s second day on the job – as Welding Instructor.
“I was always interested in the artistic side, and then I truly fell in love with all of it.”
Bier studied Welding at Gateway Community and Technical College, and said she then moved to the structural side. ”I always wanted to teach and found my passion here at Holmes High School.”
She says she has about 30-40 – and yes some young girls — in her program.
“Anyone can come from any background and do this,” she said.
Principal Turnick summed up the event perfectly.
“Our goal,” she said, “is not to be the best high school, in Kentucky – but the best in the country.”
They’re on the way.