Macomb County Manufacturing Day Gives Hundreds of Students Behind-the-scenes Access to Local Industry

By Press release submission

Oct 4, 2021

County of Macomb issued the following announcement on Oct. 1.

Nearly 850 students from multiple local high schools today boarded buses and visited one of 24 host sites taking part in Macomb County’s Manufacturing Day. The annual event, which is coordinated by Macomb County Planning and Economic Development and the Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD), provides opportunities for students to tour area advanced manufacturing facilities and meet people who make things.

“This is much more than a field trip -- it’s an opportunity to make connections that open pathways to future employment,'' said County Executive Mark Hackel. “Our organizers do a fantastic job coordinating tours and finding facilities where young people can experience industry in action and learn about potential careers.”

Hackel joined Armada High School during a tour of Daiek Woodworks in Bruce Township, a company which specializes in custom wood products and architectural millwork. He also visited Avon Machining, a heavy equipment component supplier, with Romeo High School. (Photos of these tours, and other tours from Macomb County’s Manufacturing Day, are available here.)

“We are grateful for the business community and their long standing support of these opportunities for our students,” said MISD Superintendent Mike DeVault. “People choose this county to raise their families and grow their businesses because of these programs and other opportunities.”

All students participating in Manufacturing Day received a 90-120 minute guided tour and some combination of the following:

Briefing by a company leader who provides an overview of the company, the type of manufacturing they do and the customers they serve as well as info about employment opportunities.
Smaller sub-tours that highlight different work areas and careers
Opportunities for students to talk with employees and see the product life cycle in action
Opportunities for students to see and touch the machinery, tools and products that are a part of the industrial workplace
A virtual component, which opens an opportunity for all students to explore careers in the industry as part of the MISD's Macomb Engage program: https://macombengage.org/mfg-day-2021

These experiences help the students better understand what a career in advanced manufacturing might look like. The tours also provided benefits for the host sites in that they get the chance to promote their companies and interact with the next generation of talent. Several participating companies have even hired previous Manufacturing Day attendees that were interested in the field.

“Finding employees and filling open positions is a concern for every business across every industry right now,” said Vicky Rowinski, director, Macomb County Planning and Economic Development. “An event like MFG Day won’t fill immediate vacancies, but it will fuel the talent pipeline and prepare the next generation of the workforce by exposing students to potential careers that are both high-paying and fulfilling.”

Since 2014, more than 14,000 students have participated in Macomb County’s Manufacturing Day through the support of an active planning committee and the generosity of host sites and sponsors.

Sponsors include:

Gold Level