Friday is Manufacturing Day in Windsor-Essex, and 23 manufacturers are opening their doors to more than a thousand students and job seekers.
Workforce WindsorEssex, along with Invest WindsorEssex, the Canadian Association of Mold Makers, and Automate Canada, worked with manufacturers across the region to put on the tenth annual Manufacturing Day.
"Manufacturing Day is about opening the curtains of our industry and letting people in," said Brian Bendig, the owner and president of Cavalier Tool and Manufacturing Ltd. "Year by year, through Manufacturing Day and other initiatives, we are changing the next generation's perception of our industry."
The North American-wide initiative shares the many career opportunities with high school students. They'll tour at least one of the companies taking part, while employers can connect with the future workforce, ensuring the ongoing prosperity of the region's largest industry.
BASF is one of the companies participating in the one-day event.
"At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. People are a big part of that future. We want to get the next generation excited about chemical manufacturing and the vast opportunities for high-paying, stable careers," said BASF Site Director Eric Klauber. "We welcome bold ideas and diverse perspectives to drive the innovation, sustainability, and digitalization that our company and our industry both need."
According to Statistics Canada, 17.6 per cent of the region's workers work in manufacturing.
"As we continue to experience the vast regional investment and expand our supply chains, workforce development remains a cornerstone of our strategy," said Interim CEO of InvestWindsorEssex Joe Goncalves. "By fostering robust partnerships between education and industry through events like Manufacturing Day, we are not only tackling the skilled labour shortage but securing a prosperous future."
Windsor-Essex was the first community in Canada to participate in Manufacturing Day in 2013. Six companies hosted 150 students.