2021 MFG Month Student Events Get Creative to Work Around Pandemic Challenges

Manufacturing Month kicked off on Friday, October 1st in Florida and around the country. Although coronavirus pandemic challenges persist and some in-person student events have been cancelled or postponed, many MFG Month coordinators have created new ways to continue showing students the many great careers available to them in the manufacturing industry.

Here are a few of the student events celebrating Manufacturing Month in Florida this October.  It's not
too late to plan your event! Share details of your event on social media - use #MFGDAY21.

In Northeast Florida, a Virtual MFG Month Panel "Making the Future in Northeast Florida" was held on October 1st.  Over 90 students participated from Baker, Clay, Duval, Putnam and St. Johns Counties.  There were students from 7 different high schools as well as from the Florida State College at Jacksonville.  The event was coordinated by CareerSource Northeast Florida and First Coast Manufacturer's Association.

In Central East Florida, the Brevard County MFG Job Fair will be held on October 7th at CareerSource Brevard. And on October 14th, the Made in Tampa Bay Expo & Job Fair will be held at CareerSource Tampa Bay.  Students from high schools and colleges in those areas are welcomed to attend.  Both will have multiple manufacturers available to talk about the career opportunities at their companies.

The Bay Area Manufacturer's Association (BAMA) in the Tampa Bay area has worked with Hillsborough and Pinellas County School Districts to create the Great Manufacturing Month Teach-In for October 19th.  On that day in both counties, teachers will log-in through zoom for ten minutes at the top of each hour for a Q&A with local manufacturers.  Each participating industry partner has provided a virtual tour of their facilities for students to watch prior to October 19th.

At least 13 schools in Polk County will be attending a virtual MFG Month Panel Discussion on October 27th.  Local manufacturers will sit on the panel to share information about their companies and answer student questions.  Videos about the companies will be available for students to view prior to attending. The event was coordinated by Polk State College, Polk County Public Schools.

And on October 28th, a MFG Month and DEAM (Disability Employment Awareness Month) Virtual Panel will be held for High School High Tech students from across the State of Florida.  The event was coordinated by The Able Trust and FLATE to share with them the great careers in Florida's manufacturing sector and the education needed to get there.

If you have events to share or would like help planning your event, please reach out to FLATE at events@flate.org.