



It may be the best opportunity you’ve never heard of. Over the next decade, it’s projected that nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs in the United States will need to be filled. Yet, only about 1.5 million people will possess the necessary skills to do the work. What remains in widely known among manufacturers as the “Skill Gap.”

What is not widely known is that these jobs even exist. There’s an irony to all of this. While most people believe a strong manufacturing sector is vital to economic growth, they no longer consider it a viable career option. They are unaware that advanced automation and robotics have allowed America to regain its competitive foothold. If they knew what we know, maybe they would think differently. Did you know average entry-level compensation for manufacturing engineers is nearly $60,000, and for manufacturing workers in the United States it’s more than $77,000? (Manufacturing Institute) That’s why ECPI University and manufacturers around the nation are on a mission to change public perception through an annual nationwide event known as Manufacturing Day, MFG Day for short. Locally, ECPI University and the Association for Manufacturing Excellence will be hosting an array of nearby manufacturers who will welcome hundreds of students and job seekers for a full day of activities, education, and advocacy. The event takes place on Friday, October 9 at ECPI University’s Virginia Beach campus, located at 5555 Greenwich Road. Attendees will have a chance to: See game changing technology in action like robotics, automation, replicators, 3-D printers, and more

View demos, displays, and manufacturing exhibits

Learn how to gain the skills required to work in the manufacturing field

Interview with employers on the spot “We have a compelling story to share,” says ECPI University Virginia Beach Campus President Kevin Paveglio. “When people get a close look at modern manufacturing, they discover a highly-technical environment filled with automated systems and robotics. What’s more, they learn that manufacturing is no longer a dirty, back-breaking job. Today’s advanced manufacturing facilities are modern marvels, clean environments filled with skilled professionals operating all kinds of mechanical, electronic, and computer-based systems.” At 11:30 am, a panel will convene to discuss the current skills gap, both from a national and regional perspective. Members of the panel will include: Virginia State Senator Frank Wagner

Ryan Johnson, Lindab

Michael Launsbach, Alcoa

Kimberlee Humphrey, Newport News Shipbuilding

Stephanie Sutton, Virginia Beach Public Schools MFG Day Employers and Participants

Alcoa

Amtek

ATI

Ball Corp

Bauer

Busch

Huntington Ingalls-Newport News Shipbuilding

Jo-Kell

Junior Achievement

Liebherr

MSSC

NASA

NTT

Perdue

RAWL

Robotics Education & Competition Foundation

Ronald A. Williams, Ltd Technology for Teaching

SIS

STIHL

Sumitomo

Triple Helix

United States Air Force

VBPD Bomb Squad

Virginia Beach City Public Schools TCE

Youth Career Center

Manufacturing Day is co-produced by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Manufacturing Institute (MI), the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST), and Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP).

For more information about MFG Day, please visit us online. For additional background information about the Skills Gap, please refer to The Skills Gap in U.S. Manufacturing 2015 and Beyond, produced by Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute.

DISCLAIMER – ECPI University makes no claim, warranty or guarantee as to actual employability or earning potential to current, past or future students or graduates of any educational program we offer. The ECPI University website is published for informational purposes only. Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained on the ECPI.edu domain; however, no warranty of accuracy is made. No contractual rights, either expressed or implied, are created by its content.

For more information about ECPI University or any of our programs click here: http://www.ecpi.edu/ or http://ow.ly/Ca1ya.