Williamson, Inc. and Williamson County Schools join forces on October 6 to celebrate Manufacturing Day 2017

Local manufacturers aim to introudce students to modern day manufacturing careers with plant tours

Williamson, Inc. Economic Development and Williamson County Schools will celebrate National Manufacturing Day by taking 180 students from several middle and high schools in the county, where students are already studying engineering or advanced manufacturing, on facility tours at Flash Technology, Horn USA, APCOM, and Card Marketing Services.

There is an increasing demand for highly skilled professionals in the manufacturing sector who can design, program and operate technology, but manufacturers’ ability to find workers has been hindered by the public perception that careers in manufacturing – the nation’s ninth largest economy – are undesirable. Advanced manufacturing job creation in Tennessee far outpaces national growth, at 26.6% job growth in Tennessee compared to 5.3% nationally from 2011 to 2017. Manufacturing Day is an annual, national coordinated effort designed to tackle the nationwide labor shortage by introducing young people and others in the community to viable, modern-day manufacturing career opportunities and to demonstrate the contributions manufacturing makes to the local economy. An aging workforce and antiquated misconceptions have led to a gap in skilled labor.

The media tour is coming up on Friday, October 6 at 10 a.m. at Horn USA located on 320 Premier Court #205, Franklin. You can expect an inside look at a modern manufacturing facility, demos of machines, students operating state-of-the-art robotics equipment; students, educators and business leaders learn what local companies make and who they sell to. On-cameral interviews with organizers are available.

For more information contact:

Patrick Cammack, Director of Economic Development

Williamson, Inc. Economic Development

615-261-2882, patrick@williamsonchamber.com