Washington, D.C. – On National Manufacturing Day and throughout the month of October, Siemens, the global industrial manufacturing company, celebrates American manufacturing with events around the country to drive awareness about advanced manufacturing and to inspire the next generation of American workers. October started with a billboard in Times Square marking the occasion by highlighting the software revolution that is transforming manufacturing and driving the digital economy.
Investing in the modernization of manufacturing infrastructure will allow the U.S. to capture a competitive edge, but the factories of the future won’t run themselves. By 2020, there will be a shortfall of nearly 10 million skilled workers in manufacturing-related industries in America, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition to modernizing production facilities and broadly embracing digital manufacturing, there is an urgent need to invest in the future workforce. As part of Siemens’ ongoing efforts to address this challenge, the company opened its facility doors – from locations in Pennsylvania to North Carolina to Kentucky and Florida – and invited elementary, middle, high school, and college students to see firsthand the types of jobs available in the new age of manufacturing.
With more than 75 manufacturing sites across the country, Siemens invests more than $1 billion annually in research and development and more than $50 million in job training programs in the U.S. to advance innovation in the manufacturing and technology sectors.
“Manufacturing Day is a national opportunity to shine a bright light on the resurgence of manufacturing in the United States and to showcase the tremendous possibilities that come with a career in advanced manufacturing,” said Eric Spiegel, president and CEO of Siemens USA. “Students need to see that manufacturing jobs are now data-driven and software-driven – and that working in a digital factory is a pathway to a rewarding career. We look forward to welcoming students from across the country into our factories and facilities.”
“We are confident that this grassroots movement is reaching deeper into the educational community, which is critical for the industry’s future. One of the most important things that Manufacturing Day can do is to introduce educators and America’s youth to manufacturing and the career opportunities it provides,” says Jennifer McNelly, president of The Manufacturing Institute.
Intelligent manufacturing solutions
American industry is in the midst of a digital renaissance. Gone are the days of back-breaking manual labor on the factory floor. Workers today use iPads and computer-aided design to develop the newest gas turbine or passenger rail train braking system. To be competitive in today’s industry, manufacturers must respond with significant reductions in their time to market, with massively improved flexibility to enable individualized mass production, all at reduced energy and resource consumption. Siemens has been at this intersection of the physical and virtual worlds for nearly a decade and was the first automation supplier to identify these key trends and tap digitalization, automation, and simulation as solutions.
Siemens provides innovative and environmentally friendly products, solutions, and services for industrial customers enhancing their productivity, efficiency, and flexibility. Siemens’ portfolio for industry includes end-to-end automation technology and industrial software, complete drive systems, and technology based services. Siemens also provides vertical market expertise in industries such as oil and gas, marine, food and beverage, chemical, mining and minerals, automotive, aerospace, pulp and paper, and water/wastewater.
Engaging the next-generation workforce
Siemens will continue to host a number of National Manufacturing Day events throughout the month of October, including:
Siemens’ Introduce a Girl to Engineering, October 14 (Elgin, Illinois): With more than 200 employees, the Siemens’ Elgin facility which manufactures mechanical drives, will host local female high school students for an evening of engineering exploration. The event will include hands-on STEM activities and a plant tour.
Siemens Healthcare STEM Day, October 19 (Glasgow, DE): The Glasgow facility will host students from the University of Delaware enrolled in the Medical Technology program to showcase manufacturing within the healthcare diagnostics industry.
Siemens Healthcare Schools to Career Event, October 21 (Walpole, Massachusetts): Siemens is working with the School to Careers Partnership to bring high school students in to its Walpole facility to showcase manufacturing career opportunities within healthcare diagnostics.
The Siemens Science Discovery Day, October 27 (Memphis, Tennessee): Siemens Building Technologies is working closely with the Shelby County School District to host its first-ever Science Discovery Day in an effort to inspire STEM interest in youth and promote awareness and readiness for jobs in science, engineering and manufacturing. More than 500 students are expected to take part in the Siemens Foundation Science Day program and view exhibits from groups including NASA, electric/hybrid automobile manufacturers Nissan and Honda, and local universities and community colleges.
Siemens Fort Madison, October event (Fort Madison, Iowa): Siemens Fort Madison will host several events in connection with Manufacturing Day, and it all started with a visit on Oct. 1, 2015, from members of the Keokuk High School robotics team, who participated in an exchange of ideas with Siemens engineers and representatives from the factory’s process team. On Oct. 28, Siemens will participate in the Lee County Economic Development Group’s Salute to Industry Summit 2015. And on Oct. 29, students enrolled in Wind Technician and Wind Blade Repair programs at Cloud Community College in Kansas will learn about blade manufacturing through a tour of the Fort Madison factory and on-site classroom demonstrations.
Siemens Healthcare, Early November (Flanders, New Jersey): The facility will open its doors to students for a student tour. Recently, Flanders held a ribbon-cutting event celebrating the expansion of the facility. Employment at the site has grown from 450 before the project began to 550 today, with total employment expected to reach 900 during the next decade. Many will be highly skilled, high-tech workers supporting both Research and Development and the design and assembly of Siemens diagnostic instruments. These workers will include mechanical, electrical, biomedical, process and quality engineers; assembly, laboratory and engineering technicians; assembly operators, supply chain and procurement specialists.
In addition to all the National Manufacturing Day events hosted throughout the month, Siemens continues to emphasize the importance of training today’s youth in STEM initiatives and providing hands-on training for college and university students with programs such as the Siemens Foundation, Siemens Cooperates with Education (SCE), Siemens Product Lifecycle Management Software business GO PLM academic program, and local partnerships with grade schools and colleges in the communities where Siemens has a manufacturing presence.
The SCE program recently reached a milestone of more than one million dollars of automation equipment provided to public educational institutions. In addition, since 2009, more than 400 instructors have been trained at 200+ institutions. SCE partner schools include Georgia Tech, Auburn University, and Clemson University. For a full list of partners, visit the SCE Partner website.
Source: Siemens Corporation
September wasn’t the best month for global manufacturing. 
