Manufacturing Month is coming up in October! If you’re a business or education/training organization that hasn’t participated before, it’s not too late to get involved.
Every October, manufacturers across the country invite K-12 and college students, job seekers, educators, community leaders, and other members of the public behind the scenes to see what modern manufacturing actually looks like. These events are a chance to challenge outdated ideas about manufacturing, showcase the technology and skills used in today’s facilities, and help people see manufacturing as a pathway to good jobs and long-term careers.
What’s Manufacturing Month?
Manufacturing Month is a time for manufacturers to open their doors and help their communities learn how products are designed, produced, assembled, and distributed.
For students, a facility tour can make classroom concepts tangible and introduce them to careers they may not have considered. For job seekers, it’s an opportunity to see the workplace firsthand and learn what employers are looking for. And for manufacturers, it’s a chance to introduce potential future employees to their company and help build a stronger local talent pipeline.
You don’t need to organize a huge event to participate. A simple facility tour can make a big impact.
The Basics: Hosting a Manufacturing Tour
A typical company tour takes about 1 to 1.5 hours and can be fairly simple to organize (less than 3 hours total of preparation and planning). A company leader might begin with brief remarks about the business, what the company makes, and the types of jobs available. The group can then tour the production floor and see the manufacturing process firsthand. Production can continue as normal on the day of the event.
If the group is large, consider dividing participants into two smaller groups and running simultaneous tours. This makes it easier for participants to see and ask questions without disrupting production.
Tours can also be tailored to the audience. A tour for high school students might focus on career exploration and the skills needed to get started, while a tour for adult job seekers could highlight current openings, wages, career pathways, and training opportunities.
What Are East Bay Communities Doing?
There’s no single way to participate in Manufacturing Month. Communities and organizations across the East Bay have developed a variety of approaches that connect manufacturers with students, job seekers, and the broader community.
- The Fremont Economic Development Department coordinates a series of Manufacturing Month tours that reach nearly 500 K-12 and college students, as well as adult job seekers through the Ohlone Career Center.
- Eden Area ROP and Chabot College shuttle students to visit area manufacturers, allowing students to see manufacturing careers in action.
- Earn and Learn, a work-based learning nonprofit, organizes tours with local manufacturers in Contra Costa County while also highlighting training programs at nearby community colleges.
- The City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development (OED) plans a series of tours at local manufacturers and runs a marketing campaign showcasing how Berkeley’s manufacturing sector contributes to the city’s economy.
- Each year, the City of San Leandro and its Chamber of Commerce host a Manufacturer’s Appreciation Event, bringing together elected officials, business leaders and other community leaders to recognize local manufacturers.
- FlexFactor, an education program run by NextFlex in San Jose with national reach, has incorporated immersive, hands-on workshops into its Manufacturing Day events, allowing students to do more than observe manufacturing—they get to experience it.
These examples demonstrate that Manufacturing Month can be as simple as opening the doors for a small group of students or as ambitious as a community-wide campaign. The common thread is bringing people into manufacturing workplaces and helping them see the opportunities that exist there.
Why Participate?
Manufacturing Month is more than a chance to show people how a product is made. It can be an important tool for industry and career awareness, talent development, and economic mobility.
Many people—especially young people and those who have never worked in manufacturing—may not realize how many different careers exist in the industry. Modern manufacturers need machinists, technicians, maintenance workers, engineers, quality professionals, production leads, and many other skilled workers. A tour can help participants connect those jobs to their own interests and skills.
For employers, Manufacturing Month is an opportunity to build relationships with schools, workforce organizations and community partners that can become valuable sources of future talent.
Want to Plan Something for Next Month?
If you’re an organization looking for a manufacturer to tour—or a manufacturer interested in welcoming a group—fill out this form, and someone will reach out to you to help you make the right connections.
