Manufacturing Day goes virtual

Every year, manufacturers from around the nation gather on the first Friday in October to open their shop doors to students, prospective employees, teachers, and community leaders. Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) is meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers and showcases the many career opportunities that exist in today’s modern manufacturing space. Last year, more than 325,000 people participated in MFG Day and over 3,000 events were held nationwide. However, MFG Day 2020 is shaping up to be a bit different than years past.

MFG Day, held Oct. 2 with events continuing throughout the month, will take place primarily through virtual events. Manufacturers will be hosting webinars and virtual Q&A sessions to engage participants instead of offering facility tours, demonstrations and workshops. While it is difficult to replace the in-person tours of manufacturing facilities and one-on-one informational sessions, some manufacturers are hoping that the event will be an opportunity to increase community engagement and collect data on visitors who are interested in a career in manufacturing.

MFG Day sponsor Deloitte has been tracking the reception of the event since 2015 and has found that 89 percent of respondents became more aware of manufacturing jobs in their community and 84 percent thought that manufacturing careers could be exciting and rewarding.

For more information on MFG Day, including events in your community or to learn how to be involved, visit the MFG Day website.