Manufacturing Day 2015 helps change perception of industry

According to a new Deloitte perception survey, Manufacturing Day 2015, including all events scheduled throughout the year, has improved the public’s perception of manufacturing.

Developed in collaboration with The Manufacturing Institute, the survey was distributed to more than 2,500 manufacturing hosts across the United States to gather perspectives from teachers, students and parents on how Manufacturing Day events made a difference in local communities. The survey found that after attending Manufacturing Day events, 81% of student respondents are more convinced manufacturing provides careers that are both interesting and rewarding, and 71% are more likely to tell friends, family, parents or colleagues about manufacturing.

“The co-producers of Manufacturing Day could not be more pleased with the results of the 2015 celebration,” said Ed Youdell, president and CEO of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA), one of the co-producing organizations. “Our goal, when we created Manufacturing Day just three years ago, was to bring manufacturing into the mainstream. We wanted to showcase this important sector of the American economy and introduce young people to the career options and exciting work environments manufacturing offers.”

Educators’ responses to the survey also illustrated the positive impact. Ninety percent indicated they are more likely to encourage students to pursue a career in manufacturing and 91% found the activities and tours to be interesting and engaging.

“By capturing the impact of a national Manufacturing Day, we can see how it has made a difference in changing the image of the industry,” Institute executive director Jennifer McNelly said. “Every day we aspire to make this industry better than it was yesterday, and the results of the Manufacturing Day survey illustrate how we are improving the image of the industry and positioning it as a rewarding career path for future generations.”

“This survey further demonstrates the changing perception of manufacturing across the country, particularly among young people, and we have events like Manufacturing Day to thank in large part for this positive trend,” said National Association of Manufacturers president and CEO Jay Timmons. “We appreciate the continued efforts of thousands of manufacturers from across the country to educate students, parents and their communities about the many career opportunities through our industry.”

Manufacturers responding to the survey also expressed positive feedback regarding their participation in Manufacturing Day. Ninety four percent found there was value in participating in the event and 88% are more likely to continue engaging with high schools or colleges in their area. To see the interactive dashboard that provides the ability to analyze results in more detail, follow this link.

“It is powerful to see that our collective efforts are making a difference in educating the public about manufacturing and its rewarding careers and how we are helping manufacturers throughout the U.S. connect with the next generation workforce” said Carroll Thomas, director of the Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

For Manufacturing Day 2015, a total of 2,620 events were held across North America including all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Based on data collected from host company evaluations, more than 225,000 students and 55,000 parents, teachers and other attendees participated in these live events. Twelve virtual events helped even more people participate, with the Discovery Education and Alcoa online program reporting the largest participation of any single event, with more than 120,000 students. This brings the total number of participants in Manufacturing Day 2015 activities to more than 400,000.

Manufacturing Day addresses common misconceptions 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 Manufacturing Day, manufacturers 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.

“As manufacturers opened their doors to the public on Manufacturing Day, they shared firsthand the opportunities available in today’s advanced manufacturing environment,” said Craig Giffi, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP and automotive industry leader. “By gathering research through the Manufacturing Day survey, the Manufacturing Day producers can measure the impact Manufacturing Day is having on perception, provide insight into building upon that momentum, and further efforts to improve public perception of manufacturing.”

About Manufacturing Day
A panel of co-producers comprised of the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), The Manufacturing Institute (MI), the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), and guest producer Industrial Strength Marketing (ISM) provide the centralized support necessary to coordinate this nationwide array of simultaneous events. The national media partners for the event are the Science Channel and Edge Factor, and the national movie partner is American Made Movie. www.mfgday.com