The whole month of October is dedicated to celebrating the manufacturing industry in the state of Wisconsin, and participating in National Manufacturing Day is a great opportunity to kick off the celebration. Waukesha® Metal Products (WMP) has participated in National Manufacturing Day since 2012. This will be our third consecutive year opening our doors to students, educators and communities.
Waukesha® Metal Products will be hosting facility tours at both Wisconsin locations: Stamping & Tooling in Sussex, Wis. and Fabrication in Grafton, Wis. The tours will take place between 10:00a.m.-3:00p.m. with prescheduled tours for local schools. WMP will highlight the importance of manufacturing to the nation’s economy, as well as the state’s economy, and feature the many rewarding, highly-skilled jobs available in the manufacturing industry. The facility tours will allow visitors to experience the manufacturing process first-hand. Waukesha Metal Products representatives will be available to provide any answers to questions in relation to career pathways in the industry, equipment, the production process, or any other questions visitors may have.
With the gap growing each year between the skills students learn in school and those they will need on the job, it is increasingly difficult for manufacturers to find and hire qualified employees. Some of the goals for Manufacturing Day, and the month, are to educate young minds about the growing career opportunities and to create a positive image about the manufacturing industry. Eliminating the perception of the industry as being Òdirty and dangerousÓ and highlighting the technical skilled talent the manufacturing industry requires, is essential to creating a positive perception about manufacturing and its career opportunities.
The face of manufacturing has changed drastically and it’s time companies and organizations started showing the industry’s advancement. Students, educators and communities won’t experience or realize these changes on their own. As organizations, it’s critical that we take the time to open our doors to shed light on the new and innovative industry that manufacturing has come to be.
One way WMP chose to show the importance of manufacturing was entering the National Manufacturing Day Video Contest. You can view the video here or below. The Manufacturing Video Contest was a way for all organizations to share how they celebrate National Manufacturing Day and why others should as well.As a manufacturer, the main reasons WMP chose to submit the video was to show the importance of manufacturing, provide ideas to others on what they can do for National Manufacturing Day, explain why celebrating National Manufacturing Day is important and encourage others to participate.

Manufacturing has a lot to offer and it’s time our students, educators and communities see the great opportunities it can provide. If you are a manufacturer, open your doors for National Manufacturing Day so people can experience manufacturing first-hand.

To sign up for a facility tour at our Stamping/Tooling facility in Sussex visit: http://www.mfgday.com/events/2014/waukesha-metal-products-3

To sign up for a facility tour at our Fabrication facility in Grafton visit: http://www.mfgday.com/events/2014/waukesha-metal-products-4