Manufacturing Day Welcomed High School Students on October 6
In celebration of Manufacturing Day 2017, Fullerton College opened its doors on October 6, to more than 100 local high school students, counselors and faculty, so that they could gain an understanding of the many aspects of manufacturing and to broaden their perspective on many pathways leading to careers in manufacturing.
The day included hands-on demonstrations by instructors in the machine technology and printing technology programs at Fullerton College. The event was co-hosted by the Deputy Sector Navigator, Advanced Manufacturing OC /Center for Applied Competitive Technologies (CACT) at the North Orange County Community College District (NOCCCD, in collaboration with Vital Link and the California Manufacturing Technology Consulting (CMTC)—California’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center.
In celebration of Manufacturing Day 2017, California State Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva presented a proclamation recognizing the CMTC, Fullerton College, the CACT and partnering organizations for their efforts in promoting this event.
“There is an increasing demand for highly skilled technicians and professionals in manufacturing. The advanced manufacturing sector requires a workforce that can design, program and operate the new and emerging technology,” said Norma Alvarado, CACT Director, with North Orange County Community College District. “The average age of today’s manufacturing employee is 56, and between now and 2020 there will be an unprecedented shortage of skilled workers, and they will need to be replaced.”
Fullerton College is one of many sites across the country that hosted Manufacturing Day events. Manufacturing Day is an annual event during which North American manufacturers, community colleges and universities open their doors to showcase new and emerging technology used in advanced manufacturing. The goal is to foster interest in manufacturing careers. Manufacturing environments are commonly thought of as factories that employ low or unskilled workers, the 2017 Manufacturing Day addresses this misperception by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort with high schools, and colleges what advanced manufacturing is today:
- Advanced Manufacturing includes robotics, flexible hybrid electronics, and smart manufacturing
- The annual average salary of manufacturing workers is more than $77,000
- Manufacturers have the highest job tenure in the private sector
- Over 90 percent of manufacturers provide workers with an array of benefits
The Machine Technology Laboratory at Fullerton College provides its students with the opportunity to learn on state of the art equipment, this technology was demonstrated by the department’s faculty. The demonstrations included the use of 2, 3, 4 and 5 axis CNC machining and turning centers along with CMM machines and Laser scanning inspection technologies. Printing Technology Department faculty provided hands-on demonstrations on many of the printing processes used by local employers, including label making and packaging, screen printing, and digital printing. Additionally, the students toured the Welding program and faculty provided demonstrations of various cutting processes.
Pacmin, a local manufacturer and an aerospace supplier in desktop and exhibit models, presented and showcased their products so that students were made aware of the diversity in the industry. Students, counselors and faculty had an opportunity to engage with the Pacmin’s interactive models which were on display throughout the tours. Pacmin is dedicated to bringing vision to life through their core products and services, these include; prototyping, printing, tooling, molding, all customized to their customers’ requirements.
Photos of the day are available on the Fullerton College Facebook page. More information on Manufacturing Day is available at www.mfgday.com.
