Shreveport-Bossier, LA Approximately 800 northwest Louisiana high school students will tour nearly 30 manufacturing plants and training providers during the third annual Northwest Louisiana Manufacturing Week, October 3rd-7th. NWLA Manufacturing Week, sponsored by the North Louisiana Economic Partnership (NLEP) and the Manufacturing Managers Council of Northwest Louisiana (MMC), will expose area students to career options in manufacturing and skilled trades.
“Manufacturing is a great way of life. If you can think it, dream it, draw it, process it or build it, we have a place for you. We feel it is a huge advantage to partner with the North Louisiana Economic Partnership, the MMC, and the local parish school systems to participate in the national 2016 Manufacturing Day to show our students what we have to offer. As the 2016 President of the Manufacturing Managers Council, we could not be prouder to support such a great event. It is our goal to attract the future leaders of our companies to the manufacturing industry by highlighting many rewarding career opportunities,” said Jimmy Shockley, Director of Operations, Gordon Inc.
Participation from students and manufacturers has more than quadrupled since NWLA Manufacturing Week first started in 2014. High school students from Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, DeSoto, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine and Webster Parish school systems will tour modern manufacturing facilities and learn about the skill and occupation needs of employers.
“This year we polled participating manufacturers to identify their most critical occupations, both now and in the future as their veteran employees begin retiring in larger numbers,” said Angie White, Sr. Vice President of the North Louisiana Economic Partnership, an Accredited Regional Economic Development Organization. “From their responses we created profiles of the top four most critical occupations, including operator, electrician, instrumentation and electrical technician and welder. The profiles feature young people working in those occupations at regional companies and will be included in a Manufacturing Week booklet all participating students receive.”
In addition to manufacturing facilities, students will tour manufacturing training programs in the region, including Bossier Parish Community College Center for Advanced Manufacturing, multiple Northwest Louisiana Technical College campuses, Southern University at Shreveport’s Aviation and Maintenance Technology program, and Northwestern State University’s Engineering Technology program.
NWLA Manufacturing Week is a celebration of Manufacturing Day, held nationwide the first Friday of every October. This event was inspired by a growing grassroots movement called Dream It. Do It. which is dedicated to overcoming the shared challenges facing today’s U.S. manufacturers. Louisiana became a Dream It. Do It. partner in 2016.
“Our manufacturing sector faces a growing skilled labor gap. 82% of U.S. manufacturers cannot find the qualified workers they need to grow and expand
. As part of our strategic plan, NLEP is promoting events and strategies that grow our workforce in critical industry sectors,” said Scott Martinez, CEcD, NLEP President.
Gold and Silver Sponsors for 2016 Northwest Louisiana Manufacturing Week include Bossier Parish Community College, Omni Specialty Packaging, Ronpak, Benteler Steel/Tube, Chemtrade, Honeywell UOP, Libbey, Red Ball Oxygen, Southern University at Shreveport and Sound Fighter Systems.
About NLEP
North Louisiana Economic Partnership, an Accredited Economic Development Organization, provides professional economic development services to the 14 parish region of North Louisiana, including lead generation and prospect management. The organization also represents the interests of North Louisiana with a unified voice and as a single point of contact. It acts as a catalyst, a convener, and a connector in the region to ensure that North Louisiana’s economic development potential is realized. Its vision is for North Louisiana to be a thriving region-a destination for high quality talent, innovative companies, and global investment.
Abort Manufacturing Managers Council of Northwest Louisiana
The Manufacturing Managers Council of Northwest Louisiana (MMC) is a member-based non-profit organization whose membership is made up of key leaders of manufacturers operating in Northwest Louisiana, as well as representatives of regional organizations providing support to manufacturers. The MMC’s mission is to support existing industry through idea sharing, education, and workforce development, and to assist in the growth of manufacturing in the region.