Let’s Celebrate Manufacturing
E-REP CEO
MFG Day is held annually on the first Friday in October with events continuing throughout the month. MFG Day — Manufacturing Day, is organized by The Manufacturing Institute for the purpose of highlighting the wide spectrum and the reality of modern manufacturing careers.
The Evansville Region has plenty of reasons to celebrate manufacturing this month and plenty of room for smart planning and growth in the industry. It’s no secret to any of us that our regional strength lies in manufacturing, an industry that is increasingly automating processes. New advanced manufacturing technologies bring about new careers, and in parallel will require a skilled workforce interested in pursuing those careers.
A career in manufacturing no longer fits the stereotype: dirty floors with no heat or air conditioning. Today, manufacturing is clean, modern and is rapidly offering careers for everyone, from bioengineers to data analysts to robotics technicians, and all of the operations in between. The challenge and opportunity for our region is making sure current manufacturing employees aren’t missing the skills they need to transition to modern smart technology, while ensuring future workers are informed about the education and experience they will need for an advanced manufacturing career. Increased alignment between skills/credentials and future jobs is part of our region’s strategic plan (Talent 2025). On September 22 our region submitted a READI Regional Development Plan to the state, following through on the opportunities to make skilling-up accessible and to take our smart manufacturing cluster to the next level.
The pandemic taught us those manufacturers are resilient; that agility in operations is vital to responding and weathering disruptions; and that we’re better together. As manufacturers over the next decade seek to fill 4 million high-skill, high-tech and high-paying jobs, thousands of which offer rewarding careers right here, MFG Day empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges so they can help their communities and future generations thrive.
One of the best resources for manufacturers in the Evansville region is TSMA. Powered by E-REP the Tri-State Manufacturers’ Alliance (TSMA) is an association of more than 100 businesses and many hundreds of professionals who represent the region’s dynamic manufacturing sector. TSMA works collaboratively to create a vibrant and attractive manufacturing environment in the Evansville Region. TSMA events are hosted quarterly and offer best practice insights and a laser focus on what’s coming next in manufacturing.
In honor of Manufacturing Month, I encourage you to explore our regional TSMA and the MFG Day focused events and resources available all month long at creatorswanted.org/mfgday. And thanks to all of you who contribute to our rich manufacturing sector in the Evansville Region. We look forward to highlighting our manufacturers throughout October. Submit your unique story to marketing@evvregion.com. Follow along (@evvregion) as we celebrate the manufacturing industry all month long on our social media channels.