NAM: Make The Most Of Manufacturing Day
turers do every day. But whether a manufacturer opens their doors for a tour or designs a “Parents’ Night” for family members, the most important thing is to find an authentic way to connect with community members, the panelists recommended. “If you are reaching students and educators, parents, even community members, then you’re growing aware- ness of manufacturing and hopefully exciting folks about potentially working in the industry,” said White. According to Isbister, the first priority of an MFG Day event should simply be to present careers in manufactur- ing as a viable option for community members. “We’ve had over 3,000 students tour here, and our goal is to let them know that manufacturing exists,” said Isbis- ter. “Most of them don’t, most parents don’t. Most teach- ers and guidance counselors and school board members don’t have the faintest idea of what we do. And when they walk in the building, their jaws hit the ground, and they’re excited to see things.” While engaging students is important, companies should be sure to invite others in the community as well, Isbister said. “Don’t just invite students (to your event), but teachers and guidance counselors and administrative people and school board members,” said Isbister. “If you get a student, you got one. If you get a teacher, you got 24. If you get a school board member, you’ve got the person with the pen
This year’s biggest celebration of manufacturing is coming up soon in October and manufacturers who want to take part should start planning now. On MFG Day, Friday, Oct. 6, and throughout the rest of the month, manufacturing companies, community col- leges and associations will have their best opportunity to show young people all the industry has to offer them, via factory visits, career fairs and more. So how can compa- nies make the most of it? Recently, the Manufacturing Institute, the NAM’s 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate, hosted a webinar to share tips, insights and re- sources for companies interested in putting on their own MFG Day events. The webinar, titled “Making the Most of Your Event,” was hosted by MI Director of Student Engage- ment Jen White. It included presentations and insights from GenMet Corporation CEO Eric Isbister and American Honda Motor Co. Assistant Manager of Government and Industry Relations Meredith Reffey. Manufacturers can engage in a range of different kinds of events from career fairs to school visits to challenges and competitions. The most common MFG Day event is a facility tour or open house, which allows students, educa- tors and parents to see firsthand the work that manufac-
CONTINUED ON PAGE 20
WPR SERVICES
video analysis
machine metrics
audio analysis
led signage
safety monitoring
communicators
ergometrics & haptic feedback
conveyor controls
custom dashboards
9059 Technology Lane Fishers, IN 46038 317.513.5269 WPR SERVICES
18 July 24, 2023
www.boardconvertingnews.com
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator