Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) is celebrated nationally on the first Friday of October, falling on October 6th this year. It is manufacturing’s biggest annual opportunity to inspire the next generation of workers, shift perceptions about the manufacturing industry, and build the foundation for the workforce of the future.
As manufacturers seek to fill 4 million high-skill, high-tech, and high-paying jobs over the next decade, MFG Day empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges and build excitement about manufacturing careers so they can help their communities and future generations thrive.
Who Started Manufacturing Day?
Manufacturing Day was started by Fabricators and Manufacturers Association, International® in 2012 as a national endeavor to change the public’s view of modern manufacturing and to provide a platform for manufacturers to communicate their challenges and triumphs. Now, the Manufacturing Institute, the workforce and education partner of the National Association of Manufacturers, produces Manufacturing Day and invites manufacturing companies to join them in celebrating manufacturing throughout the month of October. The occasion allows organizations to describe careers in modern manufacturing while addressing the skilled labor shortage.
“The MI builds, diversifies, and strengthens the modern manufacturing workforce, with the goal of furthering individual opportunity, community prosperity, and a more competitive manufacturing industry. The MI engages underrepresented communities and shifts perceptions about careers in modern manufacturing, leads skills training and career development programs, provides thought leadership and research on the changing state of the workforce and builds partnerships to scale up its impact on manufacturing in the United States.”
What are Some Outdated Perceptions of Manufacturing?
Many people hold many misconceptions about the manufacturing industry. Many people think the industry doesn’t provide fulfilling or even well-paying careers, especially for the younger workers.
- Manufacturing jobs don’t offer a fulfilling career
- Manufacturing jobs are repetitive, monotonous, underpaid
- Involve working in decrepit, dirty factories
What is Mastercam Doing?
Mastercam has welcomed students, teachers, and parents to their facility in Tolland, Connecticut for 12 years now.
Attendees at Mastercam’s Manufacturing Day are shown how to start their careers in manufacturing. Students watch a “Design then Cut” demonstration that follows the process of designing a part within Mastercam, all the way to cutting the part with a CNC machine in the Mastercam Manufacturing Lab. While onsite, students have the opportunity to get a close-up look at the University of Connecticut’s Formula SAE car, an example of student-led design and engineering. In their downtime, they eat pizza, watch videos, and have a chance to interact with each other and members of the SAE team to ask any questions about the program.
Turnout is always great, and students leave with a much better understanding of what manufacturing is. Manufacturing isn’t just being an Applications Engineer making parts on a machine. There are many other jobs that contribute to manufacturing such as Marketing, Technical Documentation, User Experience, and more.
What Can You Do?
Manufacturing Day is a great way for you to show local students and teachers the exciting world of manufacturing. Here are some creative ideas you could try to entice students into manufacturing:
- Host a tour of your own manufacturing facility
- Plan a school event to teach students about manufacturing
- Organize a manufacturing jobs fair or career fair
- Welcome Alumni back to your school highlighting the Manufacturing careers they have
For more information on Manufacturing Day or how to get involved, visit www.mfgday.com.
