SME’s Mfg4 Event to Include Girls & Manufacturing Summit
Dearborn, MI (PRWEB) April 24, 2014 -- SME, in partnership with Connecticut. Dream It. Do It., will host a female student program at the Mfg4 event in Hartford Conn., on Thursday, May 8. The “Making it Real: Girls & Manufacturing Summit” will tap into today’s female manufacturing leaders to inspire the next generation of leadership and talent.
Launched in December 2010 by the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT), Connecticut. Dream It. Do It. is part of a nationwide career awareness and recruitment program focused on creating a positive image of 21st century manufacturing.
“Manufacturing is facing a skills gap, and part of that is the under representation of women in the industry,” said Susan Palisano, CCAT’s director of Education & Workforce Development. “Sparking interest in future careers among girls is a priority to assure that the region’s manufacturers can attract, retain and advance women in skilled positions.”
This portion of the Mfg4 student program will provide more than 130 middle and high school girls from Connecticut with information about career and educational pathways in manufacturing, and experiential activities that will showcase today’s manufacturing workplace. Female leaders and practitioners from the field will discuss opportunities in manufacturing and the skills needed to be successful. An educator workshop on preparing the 21st century STEM workforce will also be held. The event’s keynote presentation will be delivered by Jennifer McNelly, President of The Manufacturing Institute in Washington, DC.
“A girls program dedicated to highlighting the importance of manufacturing is an essential piece to workforce development,” said Jeannine Kunz, managing director of workforce and education for SME. “The Girls & Manufacturing Summit is a great place for female students to speak to key leaders in manufacturing and better understand the exciting career opportunities available to them.”
The Girls & Manufacturing Summit will take place from 8 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on May 8 at the Mfg4 event at the Connecticut Convention Center. The full student program will run for three days, with the middle school portion on May 6 and the high school day on May 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.
For more information about Mfg4 — to register, attend or exhibit — visit mfg4event.com or call 800-733-4763. For the most up-to-date information on Mfg4, follow @mfg4event on Twitter.
About SME
SME connects all those who are passionate about making things that improve our world. As a nonprofit organization, SME has served practitioners, companies, educators, government and communities across the manufacturing spectrum for more than 80 years. Through its strategic areas of events, media, membership, training and development, and the SME Education Foundation, SME is uniquely dedicated to advancing manufacturing by addressing both knowledge and skill needs for the industry. Follow @sme_mfg on Twitter or facebook.com/smemfg.
About CCAT
The Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology, Inc. (CCAT), a unique economic development organization headquartered in East Hartford, Conn., leads partnerships between industry, academia and government, creating a collaborative framework for tackling today’s economic challenges. CCAT combines expertise in cutting-edge manufacturing and information technology with specialized centers of excellence in education and workforce development and alternative energy solutions to help organizations increase efficiencies, compete and succeed.
Beth Oates, SME, +1 313-425-3190, [email protected]
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