The Manufacturing Day effort is co-produced by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the U.S. Commerce Department’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and The Manufacturing Institute, and has earned the support of dozens of regional and national manufacturing organizations.
Through open houses, public tours, career workshops and other events held at participating facilities on Oct. 5, sponsors hope to introduce as many people as possible to the important role played by manufacturing both in local communities and for the nation. The grassroots events will also introduce manufacturers to business improvement resources and services delivered through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) a network of more than 400 affiliated centers across the country.
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“We are really excited to participate in this recognition of our industry,” explains Paul Kuchuris, AME President. “Part of our value proposition is that members experience a unique and highly valuable practitioner-to-practitioner shared learning experience through conferences, seminars, workshops, and facility tours alongside a trusted network of colleagues focused on continuous improvement. That, along with our commitment to raising the prominence of the industry is something that made Manufacturing Day an important event for us.”
Studies by the nonprofit Manufacturing Institute and others show that almost 80 percent of Americans believe manufacturing is important to our economic prosperity, standard of living and national security. Yet only 30 percent would encourage their children to go into manufacturing as a career.
With the gap growing each year between the skills students learn in school and those they will need on the job, it is increasingly difficult for manufacturers to find and hire qualified employees. By promoting Manufacturing Day, manufacturing associations and other organizations led by MEP centers and the FMA said they want to remove some of the myths surrounding manufacturing. For example, manufacturing is a solid, long-term career choice for qualified candidates—including the young people who will form the workforce of tomorrow, and it is a vital part of our economy.
“Manufacturing Day will be the ‘coming out party’ for U.S. manufacturers all across the nation,” said Ed Youdell, president and CEO of the FMA. “October 5th is dedicated to celebrating the great work and innovation of the 12 million men and women who make the United States the world’s largest manufacturing economy. FMA and MEP centers are encouraging their members and manufacturers to open their doors to their local school kids, community college students, press, and job seekers so that they can see firsthand the safe, high-tech and innovative work environments that await the best and brightest who pursue careers in manufacturing.”
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“We hope that every manufacturing organization—local, regional and national—will encourage its members to embrace the concept of Manufacturing Day and conduct an open house for the community,” said Dave Barber, chairman of the FMA board of directors and president of The Wilmington Grill Company in Wilmington, N.C. “And, we hope the organizations themselves will encourage the media to report on these events so that thousands of people will visit local manufacturers and learn what really goes on in America’s industrial parks. It is particularly important that educators and parents avail themselves of this unprecedented opportunity to visit local employers with children—particularly those in middle school and junior high—to introduce them to the career opportunities that exist for those who are prepared with appropriate science and math skills.”
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To learn more about Manufacturing Day, log on to http://www.mfgday.com/ or call 888-394-4362. Organizations that wish to become involved as official sponsors of this program should call 888-394-4362 or email info@mfgday.com.
About the Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME)
The Association for Manufacturing Excellence (AME) is the premier not-for-profit organization dedicated to the journey of continuous improvement and enterprise excellence. AME’s membership is composed of a trusted network of volunteers who are committed to leveraging the practitioner-to-practitioner and company-to-company shared-learning experience. Through engaging workshops, seminars and plant tours, and industry-leading conferences, AME members are continually discovering and implementing new continuous improvement strategies and best practices. AME offers its members a multitude of valuable resources to help them stay abreast of current industry developments, and improve the skills, competitiveness, and overall success of their organizations. Join AME in leading the “Revitalization of Manufacturing in North America.” For more information, visit www.ame.org or email info@ame.org.
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