Manufacturing Day October 7 at Great Lakes Science Center

Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland, Ohio, will host more than 600 middle and high school students during its fourth annual Manufacturing Day on Monday, October 7, presented by Rockwell Automation, with additional major support from Applied Industrial Technologies and Swagelok. The event is a showcase of the modern manufacturing industry designed to give area students exposure to future career possibilities. The Science Center will be closed to the general public for this workforce development program.

Students from 26 schools across Northeast Ohio, including the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Berea-Midpark, Brooklyn, Cleveland Heights, Euclid, Garfield Heights, Kent, Oberlin, Strongsville, West Geauga and more, will have the opportunity to interact with representatives from leading manufacturing and technology companies and nearly a dozen education partners during the event.

“Manufacturing Day is a way to celebrate, educate, and demystify how technology impacts the way things get made. Through hands-on activities, students will engage in career exploration and come away with an understanding of the many ways a career in manufacturing is possible. Here at Rockwell Automation, we are thrilled to be in partnership with Great Lakes Science Center and other Northeast Ohio industry partners to continue to make this event possible,” said Marzell Brown, Rockwell Automation’s digital transformation manager and a member of the Science Center’s Board of Directors.

Local manufacturing partners will bring more than 200 corporate volunteers to the event including Rockwell Automation, Swagelok, Applied Industrial Technologies, Olympic Steel, PPG Industries, Héroux-Devtek, Lincoln Electric, Lubrizol, Saint-Gobain, Sherwin-Williams, The Timken Company, Trane Technologies, and Worthington Steel.

Representatives from community education and advocacy partners including Cuyahoga Community College, Baldwin-Wallace University, Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network (MAGNET), University of Akron, Cleveland State University Washkewicz College of Engineering, Forging Industry Association, Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, Women in Manufacturing, Precision Metalforming Association, Northeastern Ohio Science & Engineering Fair, and the Ohio Lottery will be on hand to interact with students as well.

Interactive sessions for the students will include insights from industry professionals on their manufacturing career experiences through mentorship sessions, hands-on activities, and a Manufacturing Career Expo.

“Swagelok is passionate about fostering innovation and sharing the promise of manufacturing careers with the next generation. We’re proud to partner with the Science Center for Manufacturing Day to inspire Northeast Ohio students to become future STEM leaders in the world,” said Chris Miklich, chief financial officer for Swagelok Company and a member of the Science Center’s Board of Directors.

“Applied Industrial Technologies is excited to support and participate in Manufacturing Day 2024! Our Applied team looks forward to engaging with students about STEM career paths, helping to empower the next generation of leaders for an evolving marketplace while illustrating the significant importance manufacturing plays in the global economy,” said Jason W. Vasquez, vice president – sales & marketing for Applied Industrial Technologies.

Manufacturing Day is a nationwide event, typically held in early October, to show students what the world of modern manufacturing is all about. New technologies are developed daily and bring about whole new careers, requiring a skilled workforce interested in pursuing them. Together with the National Association of Manufacturers, The Manufacturing Institute, MEP Centers, and federal agency partners, the Manufacturing USA network celebrates the manufacturers who make the products that strengthen our economic security and provide opportunities for the nation’s workforce.

Great Lakes Science Center is one of the top ten museums in the nation as celebrated by the 2024 USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel award for Best Science Museum. The Science Center is home to the NASA Glenn Visitor Center and makes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) come alive for more than 300,000 visitors a year through hundreds of hands-on exhibits, temporary exhibitions, the Cleveland Clinic DOME Theater, historic Steamship William G. Mather, daily science demonstrations, seasonal camps, and more. The Science Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit institution, earned a 2023 Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, a leading provider of insight and data about the non-profit world.