October 5 Event Showcases Manufacturing Technology to Upstate Students
Greenville, SC – It may be the best career opportunity many young people have never considered: Manufacturing. It’s back and its nothing like it was decades ago. To get that message out, a coalition of manufacturing advocates created MFG Day. At hundreds of locations around the nation on October 5, manufacturing employers and educators will be sharing a very compelling story.
Case in point: It’s projected that nearly 3.5 million manufacturing jobs in the United States must be filled over the next decade, but only about 1.5 million people will possess the necessary skills to do the work. What remains is 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.
While an individual factory may no longer hire thousands of employees, the hundreds they do employ are highly-skilled professionals who work in mechanized, clean environments, integrating and maintaining robots and automated systems.
They earn a solid income. Average entry-level compensation for manufacturing engineers is nearly $60,000. For manufacturing workers overall in the United States, it’s more than $77,000 (Manufacturing Institute).
From 9:30 am to 1:30 pm on Wednesday, October 5, ECPI University’s Greenville campus - located at 1001 Keys Drive – will host employers and industry supporters who will welcome nearly 200 Upstate high school students for a full day of activities and education. Attendees will have a chance to:
- See game changing technology in action such as 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
“They’re going to be impressed,” says ECPI University Greenville Campus President Karen Burgess. “When people get a close look at modern manufacturing, they discover an environment that is ideal for this technically-oriented, computer-savvy generation. They find 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.”
MFG Day Employers and Participants:
- BMW
- PA Solutions
- Michelin
- KUKA Robotics
- U.S. Army
- JTekt
- Greenville Water
- Pierburg US
- Imagine Upstate
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 contact ECPI University Campus President Karen Burgess at 864.288.2828 or kburgess@ecpi.edu. Media inquiries may be directed to ECPI University Director of Marketing at 757.490.9090 or publicrelations@ecpi.edu .
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.
About ECPI University
ECPI University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award the associate's, baccalaureate, and master's degrees and diplomas. SACSCOC is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. A private university founded in 1966, ECPI University has campuses in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida, and offers convenient classes during the day, evening, and online; graduate employment services, continuing education, certification classes, and testing are also available.
On campus or online, fields of study include: HEALTH SCIENCES: Master of Science in Nursing, Nursing (RN to BSN), BS to BSN, Nursing (RN), Practical Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Health Information Management, Physical Therapist Assistant, Massage Therapy, Dental Assisting, Medical Assisting, Radiography, Sonography, Surgical Technology; TECHNOLOGY: Master of Science in Information Systems, Master of Science in Cybersecurity, Cyber and Network Security, Information Systems, Software Development, Cloud Computing, Web Development, Database Programming, Electronics Engineering Technology, Mechatronics/Advanced Manufacturing, Mechanical Engineering Technology; BUSINESS AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Master of Business Administration (MBA), Accounting, Business Administration, IT Management, Hospitality Management, Criminal Justice, Homeland Security; CULINARY: Culinary Arts, Culinary Nutrition, Food Service Management, Baking and Pastry Arts. (Program field availability varies by campus.) For more information, visit www.ecpi.edu.
###