Calling it a day that brings together a diverse group of supporters, The Manufacturers Resource Center of the Greater Lehigh Valley is gearing up for Manufacturing Day next Friday.
Manufacturing Day, which is Oct. 4, was created to draw attention to careers in the manufacturing Industry.
This year, the MRC is working with the DaVinci Science Center, the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board and the Lehigh Career & Technical Institute to organize Manufacturing Day events in the Lehigh Valley.
More than 600 Lehigh Valley students will visit manufacturers who have offered to host plant tours. To facilitate the process, the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board is funding the busing to transport everyone so they can see firsthand that modern manufacturing is technology driven and offers good-paying jobs.
“It’s an opportunity for kids to get the flavor of what manufacturing is like,” said Jack Pfunder, executive director of the center.
Afterward, as part of the Lehigh Valley Skill-Up Initiative, 19 student teams from 16 school districts will be paired with manufacturers and teacher coaches to compete in a video contest, “What’s so cool about manufacturing?”
Video equipment has been purchased and donated to the school districts courtesy of community contributors, so students can gain exposure from professionals and learn how to shoot, edit and produce videos. Lehigh and Northampton county school districts will participate in the contest, and anyone will be able to vote online for his or her favorite videos.
The one-year Skill Up project is funded by a $298,500 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
