{"id":6133,"date":"2019-10-10T11:30:23","date_gmt":"2019-10-10T15:30:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodwin.edu\/enews\/?p=6133"},"modified":"2024-12-17T17:26:41","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T22:26:41","slug":"manufacturing-month-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodwin.edu\/enews\/manufacturing-month-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"October is Manufacturing Month!"},"content":{"rendered":"

October officially marks Manufacturing Month in Connecticut. The state-wide initiative has been happening since 2011, to call attention to the growing field of manufacturing, and to the innovative, exciting careers within it. Now in its 8th year, Connecticut refers to this campaign as \u201cConnecticut. Dream it. Do it. Manufacturing Month.<\/strong>\u201d This month features a broad range of activities and events to help introduce young people to the many careers offered across the manufacturing field.<\/p>\n

Manufacturing Month 2019 kicked off on October 4, as it does every first Friday of October, with Manufacturing Day. According to the CTDiDi website<\/a>, Manufacturing Day is designed to \u201cshow the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders.\u201d Read on as we share with you the events surrounding this month\u2019s initiative, the current state of manufacturing, and the programs and careers available in this field.<\/p>\n

On kick-off day \u2013 October 4th \u2013 more than 100 middle school students across Connecticut explored the diverse industry of manufacturing through creative, hands-on activities at \u201cManufacturing Mania\u201d\u00a0\u2013 an event hosted by Goodwin College\u2019s Business & Manufacturing Center.<\/p>\n

At\u00a0Manufacturing Mania,\u00a0Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology Inc. (CCAT) and Goodwin College introduced students to potential career options in manufacturing \u2013 careers they may not have thought of before, where the possibilities are seemingly endless. Students experienced four sessions that involved an Ice Cream Stick Factory competition, a K\u2019Nex Kompetition, a tour of Goodwin\u2019s Advanced Manufacturing Mobile Lab<\/a>, and speaking with manufacturers and educators from all over the region.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe upcoming generation of skilled workers understands that manufacturing has really advanced since the days of dark and dangerous work environments,\u201d said\u00a0Dr. Cliff Thermer, Goodwin\u2019s Assistant Vice President for Strategy and Business Development and Dean of Business, Management, and Advanced Manufacturing. \u201cOur job as educators is to light the spark of their imaginations, then set them loose to create.\u201d<\/p>\n

Manufacturing workers account for nearly 10% of the workforce in Connecticut.<\/a> According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and the U.S. Census Bureau, there were about 160,000 manufacturing employees in the state as of 2018, earning an average annual salary of $96,279<\/strong> in 2017.<\/p>\n

Now, these are not the manufacturing employees you might picture working in factories or with dangerous, outdated machinery. Rather, these are employees who are using their minds, their hands, and advanced technology to create high-quality products that we use every day \u2013 medical equipment, power tools, computers, vehicles, jet engine parts, and more. They are creating blueprints, using design software, working with state-of-the-art, computer-led machines, and building tangible goods. This is modern manufacturing<\/a>, with careers more rewarding than ever before.<\/p>\n

As our modern world advances more rapidly than ever before, the face of manufacturing, as we know it, is changing. In fact, according to author and professor Klaus Schwab<\/a>, we are in the middle of an industrial revolution in which robotics, artificial intelligence, green technology, and more are all driving the manufacturing industry forward. We just need talented, skilled, and driven workers to keep it going.<\/p>\n

Some of the skills needed to become successful in this industry include:<\/p>\n