Chamber to mark Manufacturing Day
Last year’s event drew 600 students to gain some face time with some of the area’s leading manufacturers and employers such as Schaeffler, Artiflex, Akron Brass and more.
The Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce will celebrate a day to show the importance of the manufacturing industry to local students on Oct. 11.
In collaboration with the Orrville Chamber of Commerce and the Wayne Economic Development Council, students from all of the school districts in the area will learn about what jobs are available now in the industry and what the future growth will look like.
Last year’s event drew 600 students to gain some face time with some of the area’s leading manufacturers and employers.
This year there are 17 industries participating, said Justin Starlin, president of the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce. “This is the largest amount that we have in the event’s six-year history.”
Industries participating are Akron Brass, Artiflex, BCI Buckeye Division, Bekaert, Frito Lay, GoJo, Moog Flo-Tork, Orrvilon Inc., P. Graham Dunn, Rayco, RBB, Schaeffler, Seaman Corporation, Tekfor, Venture Products, Will-Burt and Wooster.
The Manufacturing Day event was something the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce wanted to showcase with their business partners and the students of the area, to the betterment of both.
“The availability of work force, not only today but in the foreseeable future, is vitally important to the overall strength and health of the Wooster area’s economy,” Starlin said. “With manufacturing being the largest industry in terms of economic output and employment, Manufacturing Day aims to connect today’s youth with tomorrow’s employment opportunities. These connections can lead to youth remaining in the area, employers finding the work force they so desperately need and the local economy being positively affected by low unemployment.”
The purpose of Manufacturing Day is to match students with prospective businesses.
“Wayne County Manufacturing Day is truly unique, as it is the only known Manufacturing Day in the state of Ohio to support students selecting the local industry partners that they would
like to visit, based on the information that they receive on the companies. The chamber produces an informational booklet that is delivered to all of the districts, which aids in the students’ selection,” Starlin said. “Once the students’ selections are made, then the chamber assigns the students based on their interest and the industry’s availability and capacity. It is anticipated that the day will accommodate more than 700 students visiting the 17 industry partners.”
Starlin said the students are given a special tour of the industries showing the career opportunities that exist at the company. Each student will visit one manufacturer in the morning and one in the afternoon. “Overall the day will feature nearly 1,500 industry sites in
one day,” he said.
Each company also will provide the students with “swag” that highlights their brand that the students can then wear or use throughout the year, like T-shirts or backpacks.
Starlin said there are several important reasons to teach students about the manufacturing industry. “Manufacturing is Wayne County’s largest industry by far,” he said. “It’s important that we support and highlight it to today’s youth. Generally there is a negative stigma about manufacturing, meaning that many people believe that the facilities are dark and dingy and the job opportunities are strenuous and not well paying, which is not true. Manufacturing is changing, and there are a number of high-tech jobs available at many of our local industries that many people are unaware exist.”
More information about Manufacturing Day, as well as photos from previous year’s events, can be found at the Wooster Area Chamber of Commerce’s website at www.woosterchamber.com.