To anyone interested in manufacturing, or even interested in learning more about manufacturing, spread the word: Manufacturing Day is October 4th this year!

To start off, let’s take a look at Manufacturing Day’s “” page:

MFG DAY addresses common misperceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing is — and what it isn’t. By working together during and after MFG DAY, manufacturers will begin to address the skilled labor shortage they face, connect with future generations, take charge of the public image of manufacturing, and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry.

Supported by a group of industry sponsors and co-producers, MFG DAY is designed to amplify the voice of individual manufacturers and coordinate a collective chorus of manufacturers with common concerns and challenges. The rallying point for a growing mass movement, MFG DAY empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges so they can help their communities and future generations thrive.

Manufacturing Day is kind of like the in-person version of this blog–while we’re trying to spread the word about the new face of manufacturing via blogs, Manufacturing Day is trying to do the same thing via hands-on experiences and lessons.

There are of Manufacturing Day events:

1. Plant Tours: Plant tours are the most straightforward way to get out and get involved on October 4th. You can visit local manufacturers who will then open up the doors to their plant for tours and information–and see some great technology close-up.
   
2. Manufacturing Communities: Manufacturing communities are like plant tours, but on a bigger scale. Manufacturers can band together and offer successive tours of their plants, showing visitors (like you, hopefully!) a range of manufacturing work environments.
3. Educational Fairs: Some educational institutions like community colleges and technical schools offer themselves up as venues for Manufacturing Day events. These types of events are less-hands on, but often give much more in-depth information on getting an education in the trades.

This year, there are currently two Manufacturing Day events here in Nebraska:

• Southeast Community College: 621 State Street Milford, NE 68405; starts at 6PM on October 4th
  
• Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce: PO Box 515 Columbus, NE 68602; goes all-day (address is contact info, location TBA)

And even if you can’t physically attend a Manufacturing Day event this year, don’t worry! There are still a lot of ways to get involved. The event has a  that tells you the best ways to get connected on the 4th, and last year, our friends over at Dream It Do It Nebraska  as a great way to get involved.

The whole purpose of Manufacturing Day is to increase awareness about common misconceptions about manufacturing, so whatever it is that you decide to do to celebrate, we don’t really think that you can go wrong.

One thing’s for sure–we’ll definitely be celebrating this year’s Manufacturing Day here at Manufacturing Nebraska! Do you have a specific topic you’d like to see us address this MFG Day? Let us know in the comments or !

To learn more about this year’s Manufacturing Day, check out . We also recommend listening to , which gives a lot of great details on points that everyone involved in Manufacturing Day should know about. And finally, the videos below are all great resources, too.

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Photo credit: MFG Day.