Observations from Manufacturing Day

For more information on Manufacturing Day, view Naheed’s entry from September 23.

On Manufacturing Day 2015 – October 2 – I had the pleasure of accompanying five students from Oakland County’s Northeast Technical Campus in Pontiac to Hirotec America, one of 28 manufacturing companies in the county that hosted tours.

Hirotec is a tier 1 auto supplier that makes machines that make car doors, exhausts, assembly systems, and stamping dies for the Detroit Three, as well as many of the major auto makers. The students heard from the company president about the phenomenal opportunities for skilled trades jobs. The company hires electricians, pipefitters, machinists, welders, die makers, and engineers, as well as HR and business professionals. The students heard that auto companies can lose $1-2 million an hour in lost production if the machines don’t work so the company invests heavily in technology and innovation.

My group had students from Oxford, Holly, and Rochester Schools who are enrolled in the machining, welding, and mechatronics tracks in the Career Technical Education programming at the Northeast Campus. Four of them plan to go to college. One was looking at the aerospace program at Massachusetts State University, while others were interested in Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Lawrence Technological University. One plans to enter the military and return to trade school with tuition assistance. The students got a tour of the plant, talked to engineers and floor managers, and tried out some of the machines. They each came away with something different from the tour. All agreed that it was a good opportunity to see modern manufacturing in action.

On their return to the campus, these students joined more than 100 of their peers for a pep rally which was broadcast from the Northeast Campus to about 400 students at the other three campuses across Oakland County. They heard from Oakland County Economic Development, Oakland Schools, Oakland Community College, Oakland County Michigan Works, and myself about opportunities in manufacturing and the different routes to career success based on individual learning styles and interests.

We repeated the message of the day, manufacturers are looking for smart, technically skilled people to make a career in manufacturing to benefit themselves, employers, and the region.