Local Businesses Take Part in National Manufacturing Day

Several local manufacturers in our area recently helped Workforce Georgia Mountains celebrate National Manufacturing Day on October 6 by offering students tours of their facilities.

National Manufacturing Day is designed to raise awareness for young people about advanced manufacturing careers and help prepare them for the future.

In the Georgia Mountains region, 23 manufacturing employers have offered tours this month to over 700 students in the local school systems including Franklin, Hart, Stephens, Dawson, Forsyth, Hall, Lumpkin, Union, Gainesville City, and Mountain Education School Systems.

In our area, they include Haering Precision USA in Lavonia, ASI Southeast Inc. in Eastanollee, and Patterson Pump in Toccoa.

Shelley Logan is a Business Partner with Workforce Strategies Group LLC.  Logan said today’s manufacturing is nothing like the stereotypical perception most people have.

“The purpose is to showcase not only manufacturing careers but to show what manufacturing is today,” she said. “For most people today, the perception of what manufacturing is is from decades ago. And so advanced manufacturing today is quite different. It requires a lot of skill and is a very clean and productive environment.”

Manufacturing is #1 in Industrial Employment in the Georgia Mountains area with an average salary of over $55,000/year and an average hourly wage of $26.75.

Logan said many young people interested in a career in manufacturing are already on that career path in high school and the tours give them a first-hand look at what they can expect when they enter the workforce.

“Our high schools have career paths now for all high school students and some of those career paths are already manufacturing-focused,” she explained. “And so they’re already spending an hour or more per day in their classes focused on hands-on skills. If you already have those students that are already somewhat aware and then they see the reality, they can match that to a career path they’re interested in, it can catapult the potential for their (future) careers. And the really cool thing is that most of these careers can start with minimal training because most of them will have hands-on, on-the-job training.”

Logan said additionally, technical colleges like North Georgia Tech also offer manufacture-based courses that she said many industries will pay for.

“Another thing about manufacturing is if you show your true interest regardless of your age and have really high employability skills, they often (manufacturer) will pay for your training once you’re an employee. So, you don’t end up with college debt or anything of that nature,” Logan added.

The region’s high schools also offer career pathways in a host of manufacturing areas including Drafting & Design, Electrical, Logistics, Machine Operations, Welding, Mechatronics, Metal Fabrication, and Robotics, to name a few.

Any manufacturer in our area interested in offering tours to students can contact Logan at 678-316-0792 or email her at [email protected].