Oakland County Manufacturing Day is returning to an in-person format on Friday, Oct. 7 with more than 700 students from 17 school districts and four technical campuses touring 31 advanced manufacturing facilities around the county.
"Oakland County is the epicenter of advanced manufacturing and we're excited to connect our employers and students for these tours," said Oakland County Executive David Coulter. "Events like Manufacturing Day inspire students to begin their journeys toward successful careers and allow employers to meet with the workforce of the future."
The Oakland County Department of Economic Development, Oakland County Michigan Works!, Oakland Schools, and Oakland Community College partnered to organize the event. Oakland County Manufacturing Day connects students with future employers and enables them to see firsthand how skills they learn each day at the technical campuses are directly transferable to careers.
"Students return to campus with so much excitement and enthusiasm because they are able to explore a wide range of high wage, high skill and high demand career opportunities found right here in Michigan," Paul Galbenski, dean of the Oakland Schools Technical Campus Northeast in Pontiac, said.
During their three-hour visit, students and teachers receive tours of design labs, testing centers, and assembly operations; participate in hands-on activities; and engage with employees to learn about career paths, skills and entry-level job opportunities.
This year's tour hosts include 3-Dimensional Services Group; AAM Auburn Hills; AAM Metal Forming – Royal Oak; ABB; Ascent Aerospace; Atlas Copco; Automation & Modular Components; BorgWarner; Brose North America; Ferndale Pharma Group, Inc.; FATA Automation; General Motors, Performance and Racing Center; GHI Electronics; Gonzalez Production Systems; Heller Machine Tools; HIROTEC AMERICA; Hi-Tech Mold & Engineering; Humanetics; JR Automation, Kawasaki Robotics (USA) Inc.; MacLean-Fogg; MEC – Mayville Engineering Company; Star Cutter Company; STEC USA; Three M Tool & Machine; Visioneering, Inc.; Webasto Roof Systems, WENZEL America; Williams International; and Witzenmann USA.
Financial supporters include transportation sponsor Williams International and event sponsors AAM, FATA Automation, Gonzalez Production Systems, Heller Machine Tools, Hi-Tech Mold & Engineering, Humanetics, Oakland Community College, and Witzenmann USA.
Williams International is a returning tour host for Manufacturing Day. Colleen Schmerheim, senior vice president, people development, said the organization provides multiple career paths and rewarding careers in advanced manufacturing.
"We recognize that by exposing young students to the world of manufacturing, we can play a role in closing the skilled trades gap experienced in the labor market," Schmerheim said. "We are looking forward to hosting students in-person and showcasing multiple parts of our high-tech manufacturing process at our state-of-the-art facility located in Pontiac, Mich."
This is the eighth year Oakland County has participated in National Manufacturing Day, designed to introduce students to the many in-demand, rewarding careers in modern manufacturing and the skilled trades. These include quality control, logistics, welding, design and engineering, maintenance, PLC robotics, mechatronics, metallurgy, metrology, and project management. In 2019, The National Association of Counties (NACo) recognized Oakland County with a "Best in Category" Achievement Award for Manufacturing Day. The award recognizes innovative and effective programming that benefits residents.
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