Does your shop show well? Would a 13-year old walk in your facility and say “Wow, this is cool!”? If so, then consider participating in MFG Day 2020! It’s never too early to send a Save the Date to your local schools so they can get them on their calendars for this fall! Post your open house on MFGDay.com NOW (you can edit it later), as schools are planning for fall field trips and need to see which companies they can visit!
MFG Day (October 2) is designed to expand knowledge about and improve general public perception of manufacturing careers and manufacturing’s value to the U.S. economy. This is a nationwide event and a unique opportunity for students, parents, and educators to see manufacturing in action and to ignite their interest in manufacturing careers. Over the last six years, we’ve had great success with this event (in 2019, over 4,700 students from 64 schools and 9 home school groups visited 48 member open houses!), and we want to continue that momentum!
The concept is simple . . . manufacturers across the country hold open houses on the same day. The national MFG Day organizers promote the open houses through general and trade media campaigns, and DRMA promotes them locally, encouraging Dayton Region students, parents, and educators to visit your facility and see that American manufacturing is a vibrant career path and that employers need skilled workers.
To schedule an open house
Go to www.creatorswanted.org (new website for 2020) and click on the Host an Event button on the home page.
You will create an account and then register your event.
You’ll be able to designate the type of event (like an open house) and choose the hours for your event, among other choices. Consider holding your open house during hours that accommodate school field trips (9 – 3 p.m.), students/educators attending after school (3 p.m. and after), and students/parents attending after their work day (5 p.m. and after).
You may indicate any other restrictions you may have, like attire and if your event is open to only certain schools.
Make your open house successful
DRMA volunteers are working to spread the word to area schools with the hope that your open house will be attended by young people, their parents, and school teachers and administrators. But your help is needed:
Pick one or two schools (middle schools are prime picks) that you will invite. Educators have told us that they are much more likely to participate if they get a phone call from a company personally inviting them to attend their open house. We’re trying to make sure that every school has received at least one invitation, so please email us with the names of the schools that you want.
Click the Resources link to find easy-to-follow instructions for conducting an effective open house.
Reach out to your employees, their families, and your other contacts via your newsletter, your Facebook page, and other communication channels.
DRMA has created a flier that you may customize for your company; email us if you would like to have it.
Signing up early is critical so that schools have plenty of time to schedule a field trip to your facility. Schools are planning NOW for fall field trips. Let’s make a grand showing! Make plans now to participate in this nationwide event! Add your open house to MFGday.com and edit the details in later!
MFG Day is produced the National Association of Manufacturers and organized locally by the Dayton Region Manufacturers Association, with support from FASTLANE-MEP.