More than 200 local manufacturers, educators, and community partners attended a networking breakfast at McHenry County College (MCC) last Wednesday, October 18. The 13th annual event featured resource tables, college updates, and a panel discussion on the timely topic of investing in a skilled workforce through automation.
A series of advisory committee meetings and breakout sessions immediately followed the breakfast portion of the morning.
The panel discussion featured practical information on planning, implementing, and evaluating industrial automation while developing a workforce with the skillset for the future. MCC welcomed speakers from notable local companies, including Charter Dura-Bar/Aarrowcast, Stryker, and Fabrik Molded Plastics.
When asked about talent pipeline development, panelist Heather Mercier, Senior Manager, Manufacturing Engineering and Maintenance at Stryker said, “We typically think of manufacturing as a mechanical industry, but as we launch custom automation projects, it’s more controls engineering and continuous improvement.”
Mercier’s outlook for industrywide automation education is positive.
“It’s a big opportunity for us and its one that we need to continue to find ways to educate internally as well as outside.”
For individuals interested in automation as a career path, Spencer Benz, Technology and Automation Manager at Charter Dura-Bar encouraged collaboration between students and manufacturers.
“It’s a two-way street between the candidate and the company,” he said. “It’s turned from a skill into how willing they are to learn and engage.”
Attendees received a variety of updates from the College and learned about ways to get more involved. Representatives from the Manufacturing Pathways Consortium, a group of more than 240 local manufacturers, educators, and community partners focused on manufacturing workforce development in and around McHenry County, also hosted a recruitment event for individuals wanting to learn more.
Participants could choose from three academic advisory sessions that included precision machining, robotics and automation, or welding and fabrication. In addition, educators were encouraged to attend a session providing information about career pathways.
“The input we received from employers during the advisory breakout sessions was invaluable,” said Tom McGee, Dean of Manufacturing and Advanced Technology at MCC. “The information gained here will be used to strengthen the learning experience for our students.”
Along with the Manufacturing Pathways Consortium, MCC Workforce Development has been recognizing National Manufacturing Month throughout October with a variety of activities including shop plant tours for high school students and families, the annual internship and job fair, and seminars on manufacturing careers.
To learn more about the Manufacturing Pathways Consortium, visit www.mfgpathways.com. For more on manufacturing programs and apprenticeships at MCC, visit www.mchenry.edu/manufacturing and www.mchenry.edu/apprentice.