Manufacturing Day Week is a great experience for students but also serves as a unique opportunity for manufacturers to tout their brand and make people aware of what they are doing in Macomb County.

That opportunity, however, ends July 31.

According to Macomb County Planning and Economic Development (MCPED) organizers will be making their final call for companies wanting to participate in the 2025 MFG Day Week experience. This year’s event runs Sept. 29 through Oct. 3 with each day offering local high school students an opportunity to tour advanced manufacturing facilities where they can learn more about the many interesting and well-paying jobs the industry has to offer.

“We hope to connect classrooms with careers and to inspire our future workforce,” Vicky Rowinski, director, MCPED said, in a news release. “Ultimately, our goal is to have more than 2,000 students join us from all our Macomb County high schools. It’s a big lift, but with our partners, host sites and sponsors, we know it’s possible.”

Rowinski said since its start 11 years ago, close to 20,000 students have taken part in Manufacturing Day.

Manufacturers who register before the July 31 deadline can choose the day and time for their involvement, which gives them a chance to promote their companies and interact with young people interested in manufacturing. Those students receive a 90-120 minute guided tour and some combination of the following:

• A brief introduction by a company leader that includes an overview of its role in manufacturing, the type of manufacturing they do and the customers they serve as well as info about employment opportunities.

• Break-out tours that highlight different work areas and careers

• Provide time with students who wish to talk with employees and see the product life cycle in action

• Hands-on opportunities for students to see and touch the machinery, tools and products that are a part of the industrial workplace

It is these experiences that help the students better understand what a career in advanced manufacturing might look like. Over the years, several participating companies have even hired previous Manufacturing Day attendees that were interested in the field.

“We have many examples of young people who took part in the experience going on to receive training and then job offers from the companies they visited,” said Rowinski. “This type of result is exactly what we’re trying to achieve with our event. We want to create a pipeline that can supply workers and solve real problems facing our local businesses.”

For more information or to sign up visit MacombBusiness.com.