Next Friday, October 6th is National Manufacturing Day. As a U.S. manufacturer, we are proud to be participating in this annual event for the sixth time and excited to open our doors to students and educators from local technical schools and colleges.
There was a lot to celebrate this past Friday at The Rodon Group. Back in 2011, we hosted our first Manufacturing Day event. We were one of about 200 companies throughout the country to open our doors to students, educators and parents. Last Friday, we hosted our sixth Manufacturing Day and were joined by over 2,650 other companies and organizations. The message has certainly become loud and clear over the years; Manufacturing Day has struck a chord with the public and continues to grow every year.
STEM and Manufacturing Careers
We have all heard about the positive impacts of manufacturing on our economy, but how much do middle and high-school students really know about pursuing these well-paid jobs? At The Rodon Group, we have put a great deal of effort into getting the word out about STEM education and the long-term careers this industry provides.
Part of our campaign involves a national event called Manufacturing Day. This annual event began in 2012. It was the brainchild of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association and the National Association of Manufacturers.
In its first year, the event was hosted by 200 manufacturing companies nationwide. In 2013, the event spread to over 800 manufacturing companies who conducted presentations, tours, and hands-on challenge contests. So far, this year, nearly 1,400 have signed up, with over 65 in Pennsylvania alone.
Celebrating Manufacturing with America
In 2011, The Rodon Group hosted our first Manufacturing Day event. We were one of about 200 companies throughout the country to open our doors to students, educators and parents. Fast forward to 2015 and we were joined by over 2,300 companies and organizations, 120 in Pennsylvania alone. The message is loud and clear; Manufacturing Day has struck a chord.
This event resonates with so many Americans because it focuses on developing the next generation of manufacturers and innovators. Our nation, within the last century, owes most of our economic gains to the manufacturing sector, a sector that had been in decline for several decades. Companies took production offshore to low-wage countries, eroding our manufacturing base. In doing so, professional trade careers were no longer seen as a viable employment choice. Factories closed their doors, and apprenticeship programs closed as well. The training pipeline to acquire skills dried up.
Fast forward to today and manufacturing is making a comeback. Technical schools are beginning to see renewed interest from students and parents. So, on Manufacturing Day, we set aside our morning event to focus on teachers and students. This year our morning educational program was highlighted by two interns who shared their experience working at Rodon with the group. We even had a student videographer who helped get all the action on film.
This Friday, October 2nd is National Manufacturing Day. As a U.S. manufacturer, we are proud to be participating in this annual event for the fourth time. We're excited to be hosting close to 50 students from local tech schools and colleges in the area and hearing from guest speakers Kathy Manderino, Secretary of Labor and Industry in PA and Sandy Montalbano, Director of Media for the Reshoring Initiative. With all the attention MFGDay is receiving, we thought we'd take a step back to learn how the day was established.
Since its beginning in 2011, Manufacturing Day has achieved several thousand manufacturing plant tours across the U.S and Canada. The event is co-produced by organizations that come together to provide the framework for Manufacturing Day.This year includes FMA, NAM, MEP, and The Manufacturing Institute.
This article written by Mark Schmit and Zara Brunner at the Manufacturing Extension Partnership originally appeared on the NIST/MEP blog on July 9, 2015
Lebanon, Missouri’s population is a few hundred people over 14,000. To put that number in perspective, 1,120,000 people ride the commuter train on the average New York City weekday. In Lebanon, people welcome you with open arms, parents interact one-on-one with school teachers and real estate remains inexpensive. Lebanon represents every possible allure of small-town America. All that charm may have its perks, but what good is small-town appeal when you are an 80-year old manufacturing company with an inability to find new employees inhibiting your business’s growth? In some ways, that appeal has everything to do with it…you just have to show it off!
STEM and Manufacturing Careers
On Friday, October 2, 2015 over 400 manufacturing companies from California to Pennsylvania (including Rodon) will celebrate the fourth annual National Manufacturing Day.
The participating manufacturers represent a wide-range of industries including, food and beverage, medical, metal fabrication, plastics, automotive and communications equipment.
According the MFG Day website:
"MFG DAY addresses common misperceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing is — and what it isn’t. By working together during and after MFG DAY, manufacturers will begin to address the skilled labor shortage they face, connect with future generations, take charge of the public image of manufacturing, and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry"
American Manufacturing and Products
We are not the only ones who are proud to participate in Manufacturing Day. Since its inception in 2012, the number of participating manufacturers has grown from 200 to nearly 1,500. American manufacturers throughout the country are going to open their doors this year for tours, presentations, training and more. In fact, there are 68 tours in Pennsylvania alone.
