Manufacturing Spotlight

View 2023 MFG DAY Photos

Save the Date — 2024 MFG DAY event – October 8th, 2024

The focus of MFG DAY is to highlight the diversity of career opportunities AND demonstrate manufacturing as a S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) based industry.

October 2024 it will be the 9th time that TRMA/TREP and our education partner, Joliet Junior College, will host a MFG DAY event for local students.  In 2023, there were OVER 800 students registered that came from sixteen area high schools.  In 2023, students engaged with 170+ volunteers from industry, and the school superintendents have asked that raise the reservation limits and allow more students to attend in 2024!

The Schedule of Events:

• Opening Program: TRMA and JJC welcome the students and set the expectations for the day.
• Manufacturing Jeopardy: Students compete in a fun, fast paced game of Manufacturing Jeopardy with an experienced panel to learn manufacturing facts from 5 categories: Emerging (2025) Careers, Environment, Education, Jobs, and Safety.
• 3 Areas for Display Case:  Manufacturers and related industry companies present a STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) display or career-oriented display to introduce students to careers and engage them in the manufacturing industry.
• Social media: Photo backdrops are available for selfies or group photos to remember the experience.

MFG DAY emerged from the desire to make a “louder voice” for our local manufacturers. Being a vital industry for the US, manufacturing has a lot to celebrate. In the last few decades, technology, innovation and automation have almost completely transformed the industry’s jobs by automating repetitive, mundane, or dangerous tasks. So, today’s manufacturing recruitment focuses on people who can imagine, adapt, troubleshoot and communicate and make decisions. This shift has and will continue to result in a demand for a diverse, technical, and highly skilled manufacturing’s workforce.  The demand also extends into its related industries.