Manufacturing Revival Radio is a Dreamland Radio production with hosts Todd Schnick and Todd Youngblood. On this show, we feature the companies, the leaders, the innovators leading the charge and driving the innovation. Through the blood, sweat, and tears of working men and women from here at home, to around the world. Learn more at Manufacturing Revival Radio.

National Manufacturing Day as a new U.S. holiday? I say yes! And so does Pat Lee, director of marketing for the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association (FMA). She and FMA are in the middle of a major effort, along with folks from the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the National Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturing Institute, to make it happen.

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Mark down October 4 and get ready for the 2^nd National Manufacturing Day. This year 17,000 people are expected to participate in over 500 events in all 50 states.

Think about the impact this can and will have on kids as they consider and embark on their career paths. Think about the impact this will have on elected officials who need to know that high tech automation in manufacturing can be a massive generator of new, high-paying jobs. And think about the impact on educators who will be better able to steer their best and brightest students toward careers in manufacturing.

That’s not all Pat had to share with us. Are you familiar with Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs? It’s the FMA foundation dedicated to helping us avoid an unprecedented shortage of skilled workers.

We already have 600,000 manufacturing job openings in the U.S. crying for people with the skills to fill them, but the summer camps for kids and post-secondary scholarships from Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs will go a long way to help avert the skills shortage. Let’s help them dispel the myth that these jobs are low paying, dirty, dangerous and mostly a man’s work.

We also discussed apprenticeships with Pat. “Bring ‘em back!” she says. Kim is frustrated that most leaders in manufacturing see the need for internships and apprenticeships but are befuddled about how to actually implement effective programs. She’s involved in an FMA-sponsored conference for certified education centers and manufacturers to fix that problem.

Click on the play button above to listen to the interview, or download the audio file at Manufacturing Revival Radio.