So October 4th is National Manufacturing Day and I ask the question, what are you going to do about it? The reason I ask is that I have yet to meet a manufacturer over the past several years who has not complained that there aren’t enough good people to hire for manufacturing jobs. Why not showcase in a positive light what you do?
Sometimes we can be our own worst enemies. Let’s face it, both we and the school system have downplayed the importance of technical jobs. Guidance counselors at the beginning of the year aren’t that busy, so take one to lunch. Have them tour your facility. Be prepared with stats on how many open positions there are in manufacturing that are currently not filled. We need to be our own Ambassadors!
So why don’t you get involved? The National Manufacturing Day has several ways for you to strut your stuff and get young people excited about manufacturing and the career options it offers. They give you helpful hints on what/how to do activities. There are several things you can do:
- Host an event. Put your best foot forward and give students a tour. Expose them to all facets of manufacturing, not just production. Have them talk to other young people who work for you so they can hear it from their peer group that there’s good paying jobs/careers in manufacturing. If your facility is in an industrial park, see if you can enlist other manufacturers to do the same and have tours of their facilities too.
- Attend an educational fair at one of your community colleges or tech schools. Take what you can so students can see what you do and more importantly, how you do it. Man the booth with some of your young stars that have come up through the system.
- Sponsorships – national events cost money. Help out financially when you can.
- Here is a link for the National Manufacturing Day Host Toolkit.
Now that school is going back in session, there’s no better time to get kids excited as the school year begins.