Seven area companies will take part in the Second Annual Manufacturing Day event on Friday, October 4 at Bay College West Campus as a part of the Heavy Metal Tours campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to educate students and the community about the skilled trades and technical career opportunities that exist locally.
Lakeshore Systems, BOSS Snowplow, Systems Control, Loadmaster, CCI Systems, Verso and American Axle & Manufacturing will all offer 30-minute, hands-on activities that simulate the skills needed in todays’ manufacturing careers, along with important information about the career paths available. The event, in conjunction with National Manufacturing Day, will host 300 area high school freshmen students from six high schools in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Dickinson County boasts a high concentration of manufacturing jobs with more than 20% of the area’s workforce represented in the manufacturing and industry fields. A survey of area manufacturers, compiled by the Alliance, indicated the need for more than 1,200 new and replacement jobs over the next four to five years, supporting the need to raise awareness of the career opportunities with the existing workforce and with the workforce of the future.