SME, Local Chapters, Plan Events and Activities to Celebrate Manufacturing Day
Dearborn, Mich. (PRWEB) September 26, 2014 -- SME, an organization dedicated to advancing manufacturing and educating the current and future workforce, along with its local chapters, will host various activities and initiatives starting Oct. 3 and throughout the month of October, to support Manufacturing Day.
Manufacturing Day, in its third year, was created to address common misperceptions by giving manufacturers the opportunity to open their doors and show what manufacturing truly is. The SME chapter activities are designed to engage with students and consumers in a fun way to show how manufacturing works in real-life.
“For those immersed in manufacturing, we know how innovative, high-tech and rewarding the industry can be,” said Matt Hilgendorf, 2014 chair of the SME Member Council. “SME and its chapters are excited to support Manufacturing Day through a variety of initiatives to educate and promote the professional opportunities that exist in manufacturing today.”
Some SME chapter activities in support of Manufacturing Day include:
Wednesday, Oct. 1 – Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014
SME Boston Chapter 33 (Boston)
Members of SME’s Boston Chapter 33 are participating in the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership’s 10th annual Northeast L.E.A.N. Conference. Students and their teachers from local technical high schools have been invited to attend this event that is a combination of keynote speakers, educational workshops and hands-on workplace simulations that all focus on the advancement of the manufacturing industry. The event will be held at the MassMutal Center from 8 a.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Thursday. For more information or to register, contact Lela Glikes ([email protected]), Program Manager of the Greater Boston Manufacturing Partnership.
Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014
SME South Bay Area Chapter 153 (Hawthorne, California)
SME South Bay Area Chapter 153 will hold a free open house from 5–8p.m., as the chapter and the Hawthorne Manufacturing and Engineering Academy partner to focus on the next generation of the manufacturing workforce. The open house is a two-way collaboration in STEM educational demonstrations and expert manufacturing industry presentations. Event details, contact information and directions are available from the Los Angeles Manufacturing and Engineering Leaders’ website.
SME South Dakota State University S342 Student Chapter (Brookings, South Dakota)
South Dakota State University S342 will partner with the I-29 Manufactures Conference to hold a day filled with manufacturing presentations and interactive experiences. This year’s event will focus on factory physics, leadership, how to manage employee turnover and how manufacturing is constantly focusing on building a culture of lean. A full schedule of the day’s events and presentations can be found here.
Friday, Oct. 3, 2014
SME Downeast Chapter 46 (Maine)
SME Downeast Chapter 46 is collaborating with the Manufactures Association of Maine to coordinate 22 tours of manufacturing facilities in 10 of Maine’s 16 counties. This year’s Manufacturing Day events have tripled from last year and the events will connect with over 25 schools. These tours and interactive activities will bring together students, parents, educators, businesses and community leaders to learn from many hands-on manufacturing experiences. Information on these statewide activities is available at mainemfg.com.
SME Greater Charleston Chapter 430 (Charleston, South Carolina)
SME Greater Charleston Chapter 430 and the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce are teaming up for their Manufacturing Day event. The focus will be to encourage students to consider jobs that need to be filled in Charleston, which were recently outlined by a Talent Demand Study. Seven area schools tied to the STEM Career Academy, which is sponsored by the chamber and supported by SME Chapter 430, have been invited. The Academy Partners and Chapter 430 will provide a speaker to talk to the students about manufacturing during the school day. Detailed information about the SME chapter can be found Chapter 430’s website; questions about the event can be directed [email protected].
SME Nashville Chapter 43 and Middle Tennessee State University S239 Student Chapter (Nashville)
SME Nashville Chapter 43 and Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) S239 will be hosting an open house at the Voorhies Engineering Technology building, located in room 243. Starting at 1–3 p.m., this event will feature three presentations from SME senior and student chapter members. The open house is free and open to the public. SME members will discuss past and upcoming events, present scholarship winners from MTSU and outline upcoming competitions that further the chapters’ goals. This event aims to educate and advance manufacturing at a local level for the next generation of U.S. manufacturing professionals. A schedule of the day’s events and presentations can be found at SME Chapter 43.
SME Kansas City Chapter 57 (Kansas City)
SME Kansas City Chapter 57, the Metropolitan Community College and Kelly Services are hosting an event at MCC’s Business & Technology campus that will focus on Women in Manufacturing. This event will showcase the fact that women make up only 27 percent of the manufacturing job sector, the lowest level since 1971. The event will address and offer realistic solutions to combat what local manufacturers are struggling to fill, high-skill manufacturing jobs. Since women make up nearly half the U.S. labor force, it is important to focus attention toward this underutilized pool of talent to meet the growing manufacturing workforce demand, need for a STEM education and the growing skills gap the industry as a whole is facing. For more information, contact [email protected].
SME Sacramento Valley Chapter 145 (Sacramento, California)
SME Sacramento Valley Chapter 145 and Sierra College Center for Applied Competitive Technologies are partnering to coordinate manufacturing day events to help companies organize tours and share what other businesses are doing during the month of October. These programs will encourage manufacturers to reach out to their communities, schools and existing workforce in an effort to address the needs and opportunities that exist in manufacturing. The chapter will spotlight the positive impact manufacturing has in the community, as many products are manufactured in the Central Valley and Sierra Foothills. For more information and event details, contact SME Chapter 145.
Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014‒Friday, Oct. 10, 2014
SME University of Memphis S140 Student Chapter (Memphis, Tennessee)
SME’s University of Memphis S140 student chapter will hold a free pre-conference celebration for Manufacturing Day and with a career enhancement fair for students and manufacturing professionals at the FedEx Institute of Technology, Zone amphitheater located at 365 Innovation Drive. This event will be held the day prior to the Memphis Applied Lean Leadership Conference, which will feature lean presentations and interactive workshops through engagement with professionals, partners and sponsors, such as the SME Education Foundation and SME’s Product & Process Design and Management Community.
About SME
SME connects all those who are passionate about making things that improve our world. As a nonprofit organization, SME has served practitioners, companies, educators, government and communities across the manufacturing spectrum for more than 80 years. Through its strategic areas of events, media, membership, training and development, and the SME Education Foundation, SME is dedicated to advancing manufacturing by addressing both knowledge and skill needs for the industry. Follow @sme_mfg on Twitter and facebook.com/smemfg.
Beth Oates, SME, +1 313-425-3190, [email protected]
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