Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) is the largest annual event to promote manufacturing careers in the United States. Celebrated nationally on the first Friday in October, MFG Day is a crucial initiative to inspire the next generation, positively shift perceptions about the industry, and build the foundation for the manufacturing workforce of the future.
MFG Day helps show the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers, and community leaders.
MFG Day addresses common misperceptions by giving employers an opportunity to open their doors and show what the industry is and is not. US manufacturing is widely misunderstood, especially among young people. When it comes to career decisions, manufacturing has traditionally had a bad rap. Earlier generations knew manufacturing to be dirty and dangerous, with the constant fear of layoffs due to cuts and automation. This may have been true 20 years ago, but today manufacturing looks much different. Manufacturing remains central in the world economy and has state-of-the-art facilities that are clean and comfortable to work at. Manufacturing Day is an opportunity to connect with future generations of workers and showcase the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry. Another benefit is to amplify the voice of individual manufacturers, empowering a unified industry to address challenges and help their communities and future generations thrive.
Getting Ready
Long before the actual day, a lot of planning takes place. The Wayne County Manufacturing Day Planning Committee has been planning MFG Day for several years now. Led by the Southeast Michigan Community Alliance (SEMCA), the planning committee strategically structures events to encourage businesses and educational institutions to open their doors to students, parents, educators, and community leaders.
This creates invaluable opportunities to provide exposure, engagement, and exploration of modern manufacturing careers. As a returning member of the planning committee for my fourth year, I am excited to help ensure that we collectively host a successful MFG Day 2023 event. Now in its ninth year, the Wayne County MFG Day empowers manufacturers and post-secondary technical schools and colleges to join together to inspire the next generation.
There is also a key event that takes place before MFG Day, which is the host site employer matchup breakfast. Held this year on September 21, the purpose of the breakfast orientation is to engage sponsors, community partners, business/post-secondary site hosts, and school representatives. We are developing a communal relationship that will ensure an exchange of contact information between the matched parties and assigned ambassadors. SWAG items, banners, event agenda, and checklists were distributed to all parties to confirm the logistics on the day of the event. The breakfast also gives a chance for everyone except the students to interact and network with others who will be participating. This year’s breakfast was well attended after being on hiatus for the last three years.
When the Big Day Arrived
Manufacturing Day 2023 was a success with over 1000 students from various school districts in Wayne County touring 26 manufacturing sites and 12 post-secondary institutions. I had the privilege to tour New Center Stamping Plant which is a historical plant that opened in 1919 and has been providing parts for the Big Three ever since. The plant has changed hands a few times, but the quality of the product and the pride of the workers has remained the same all these years. Students from Chandler Park Academy toured the plant and experienced what it was like to work a day on the job. Negative perceptions the students had coming in were totally changed by the end of the tour!
The students later went to a hub site, the Wayne County Community College East Campus. College faculty gave students a tour of the advanced manufacturing areas of the college, including classrooms where students had an opportunity to see what it would be like to attend classes in the various skilled trades. Overall, this was a great experience for all students who participated in the day. We look forward to having another successful MFG Day in 2024!
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