FGIA Speaker Encourages Participation in Manufacturing Day
During the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) 2021 Virtual Summer Conference, participants were encouraged to open their doors to local communities in an active effort to grow their workforces in the midst of the current labor shortage. Julia Asoni, senior director of youth engagement at the Manufacturing Institute (MI), the social impact affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), shared information and resources for companies to plan successful Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) events this fall.
MFG DAY Purpose
Launched annually on the first Friday in October with events that continue throughout the month, MFG Day seeks to show the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders. "MFG Day empowers manufacturers to come together to address collective challenges to help communities and future generations thrive," said Asoni. "It's important to engage students in the industry, as well as the public."
MFG Day is focused on events to promote manufacturing as a career. "You may be experiencing this [labor shortage] in your own workforce, but manufacturers need to hire 4.1 million workers in the next eight years," said Asoni. "Right now, there are 851,000 manufacturing jobs open."
The MI's initiatives support women, veterans, students and workers through skills training programs, community building and supporting the advancement of careers in manufacturing. As the workforce development and education partner of NAM, the Institute advises manufacturers, equipping them with resources to solve the industry's challenges.