FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Adrian, MI – March 8, 2021
Created in 2012 by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, Manufacturing Day was designed to give manufacturing facilities across the country the chance to open their doors to students, parents, and teachers and highlight the diverse career opportunities in manufacturing for the next generation. However, this year Lenawee County’s Manufacturing Day looked a little different.
Due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place throughout Michigan, changes needed to be made in order for Manufacturing Day to be possible. The Lenawee Now team, along with members of the LISD TECH Center staff came together for a solution: Virtual Manufacturing Day. “We knew the decision to go virtual would come with its challenges, but skipping the event wasn’t an option,” said Jim Van Doren, Executive Director at Lenawee Now. “The value for students and families to learn about the great opportunities in the manufacturing industry is too important to go without.”
This year’s event consisted of two virtual sessions where panelists from eight different manufacturers spoke about their companies and provided students with a virtual tour of their facilities. Students were then given the opportunity to ask questions and receive on-the-spot feedback from the panel of employers including Adrian Steel Company, Anderson Development Company, General Broach Company, WACKER Chemical Corporation, PlaneWave Instruments, Ross Design & Engineering Inc., Uniloy Inc., and W2Fuel LLC.
“The panelists discussed the importance of teamwork, responsibility, positive attitude, dependability, effort, and safety in the workplace,” explained Benjamin Murray, Assistant Principal for Curriculum & Instruction at LISD TECH Center. “They also emphasized their desire to help grow employees from within as they pursue a career – an important concept that we are reminding our students of daily.”
Approximately 750 students across 11 school districts participated in the event, ranging from grades seven through 12. “The team provided a great learning opportunity and positive message about career opportunities available in Lenawee County,” said Jack Townsley, Supervisor of Placement Services and Adult Learning Services at LISD TECH Center. But Lenawee Now’s commitment to workforce development does not stop once manufacturing day is over.
“Manufacturing Day is just one part of our talent system,” added Van Doren. “Our Align Lenawee Talent Consortium is another critical effort to filling the talent gap and building stackable credentials that allow students to achieve good-paying jobs.” Through this effort, educators, employers, and economic developers are collectively working to provide parents and students with the resources they need to learn about career opportunities right here in Lenawee County.
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