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MANUFACTURING DAYS
IN THE SOUTH BEND - ELKHART REGION
Career Pathways Video Series Now Available!
ABOUT
Regional Manufacturing Days
The South Bend-Elkhart Regional Partnership is proud to support and celebrate our region’s strong commitment to building awareness of our manufacturing sector and the variety of related career options for students. Each county in the South Bend-Elkhart region provides high-quality Manufacturing Day experiences for businesses, educators, students, and community members. While each county provides distinct experiences, the shared goal of building a talent pipeline to meet the evolving needs of employers and fully preparing students for both existing and emerging career opportunities is clear.
DISCOVER THE AMAZING THINGS OUR PARTNERS ARE DOING
To support Manufacturing Days
ELKHART COUNTY
The Horizon Education Alliance supports Manufacturing Day activities in Elkhart County. They work with manufacturers and educators to support students in making connections between their desired future career pathways and their education. Horizon Education Alliance works with every 8th grade student within Elkhart County. Check out their website for more details. For more information contact Breanna Allen or Sarah Koontz.
MARSHALL COUNTY
The Marshall County Economic Development Corporation supports Manufacturing Day activities in Marshall County. They work with businesses and educators to support student learning and create connections to manufacturing career pathways. Check out their website for more details. For more information contact Greg Hildebrand.
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY
The South Bend Regional Chamber supports Manufacturing Day activities in St. Joseph County. They work with manufacturers and educators to build content and assist students in navigating education pathways and helping them reach their goals and working to meet the region’s need for manufacturing talent. Check out their website for more details. For more information contact Kate Lee or Alyson Herzig.
VIDEO SERIES
Manufacturing Days Reimagined
FOR EDUCATORS
Manufacturing Days
Educators help support student learning by participating in virtual or in-person Manufacturing (MFG) Day activities. Modern manufacturing has a diverse set of career options for students but unfortunately there is a lack of awareness surrounding these opportunities. Manufacturers are helping to address this issue, but they can’t do it without the support of educators! The manufacturing industry provides opportunities for students to design and build America’s future in high-demand and high-skill careers. Students can have futures in operations, management, technology, engineering, and more.
By incorporating MFG events into classroom lesson plans, educators can support student understanding of the opportunities that lie within a career in modern manufacturing. Find county specific MFG information and resources by clicking the appropriate link below. You can also search for MFG events on the Manufacturing Institute’s website here.
For more detailed information, see the Manufacturing Institute’s Educator Toolkit.
FOR EMPLOYERS
Manufacturing Days
Manufacturing businesses and employers are the backbone of a successful Manufacturing (MFG) Day event. Each year, thousands of manufacturers host in-person or virtual events in an effort to highlight manufacturing jobs and the benefits that manufacturing provides to a community.
MFG Day Events are typically in-person tours that feature hands-on experiences, presentations, discussions, demonstration, Q & A, and more. The goal of these events is to feature all aspects of the industry: accounting, administration, customer service, engineering, estimating, IT, purchasing, marketing, design, sales, etc. Virtual events with digital activities are also an option to showcase your business and future career opportunities.
The most important step in participating in MFG Days is to register your event on the Manufacturing Institute’s website here. If registered, educators can search and find MFG events in their region.
For more detailed information on hosting in-person and virtual events, see the Manufacturing Institute’s Host Toolkit.
MFG DAY
About the Program
Manufacturing Day (MFG) is an initiative of The Manufacturing Institute and the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association. These events are held nation-wide every October and aim to highlight modern manufacturing careers and address the skills gap that will leave more than 2.1 million jobs unfilled by 2030. The goal of MFG Days is to inspire students to pursue diverse career paths within manufacturing and close the skills gap.
Each year, thousands of businesses host in-person and/or virtual events for students, parents, educators, and community leaders to discover and explore the wonderful world of manufacturing! Learn more about how both educators and manufacturing employers can be involved

CAREER PATHWAYS VIDEO SERIES
Learn about the powerful programs and services offered at regional colleges and universities.