FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2014
Governor Brownback Proclaims October 3 “Manufacturing Day”
(Topeka, Kansas) - At a conference today in Wichita, focused on the return of manufacturing jobs to Kansas, Governor Sam Brownback signed a proclamation declaring Friday, October 3, Manufacturing Day.
See the Governor’s proclamation.
Manufacturing Day, the annual celebration of manufacturing in North America, is a growing grassroots movement of manufacturers dedicated to overcoming the shared challenges facing manufacturing today. The most pressing issue is a gap in skilled labor. It has been reported that as many as 80 percent of manufacturers cannot find the skilled workers they need, and this gap continues to widen. Manufacturers’ ability to address this issue has been hindered by insufficient education and the public perception that careers in manufacturing are undesirable. Both of these problems stem from a lack of understanding of present-day manufacturing environments, which are highly technical.
Manufacturing Day addresses this misperception by giving all manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, exactly what manufacturing is – and what it isn’t.
“These events connect students with industry and showcase the opportunities for employment we have in Kansas manufacturing,” stated Blake Flanders, Kansas Board of Regents Vice President for Workforce Development. “Our thanks to Governor Brownback for proclaiming October 3, Manufacturing Day.”
Throughout the month of October, in collaboration with Mid-America Manufacturing Technology Center (MAMTC) (mamtc.com), events are scheduled to connect students with local companies and celebrate the importance of manufacturing:
Kansas City Kansas Community College
October 2, 2014 (by invitation only)
For more information: Donna Kelley Shawn (913.288.7805 or
Butler Community College
October 3, 2014 (11:00am-2:00pm)
For more information: Kathy Mietlicki (316-218-6118 or
Seward County Community College
October 3, 2014 (9:30am-4:00pm)
For more information: Butch Garst (620.417.1681 or
Wichita Area Technical College
October 3, 2014 (1:30-2:30pm)
For more information: Sheree Utash (316-677-9536 or
Independence Community College
October 8, 2014 (8:00am)
For more information: Mary Jo Dancer (214-415-9899 or
Hutchinson Community College – Newton
October 14, 2014 (TBD)
For more information: Dave Mullins (620.513.2944 or
Johnson County Community College
October 21, 2014 (5:15pm)
For more information: Richard Fort (913.469.2343 or
Washburn Institute of Technology
October 22, 2014 (7:00-8:30am)
For more information: Kathy Hund (785.670.2463 or
Hutchinson Community College
October 24, 2014 (TBD)
For more information: Dave Mullins (620.513.2944 or
For more information about national Manufacturing Day and the ongoing work of the Kansas Board of Regents to support technical education in Kansas, contact Breeze Richardson at (785) 291-3969 or
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About the Kansas Board of Regents:
The nine-member Kansas Board of Regents is the governing board of the state’s six universities and the statewide coordinating board for the state’s 32 public higher education institutions (six state universities, one municipal university, nineteen community colleges, and six technical colleges). In addition, the Board administers the state’s student financial aid, adult education, high school equivalency, and career and technical education programs. Private proprietary schools and out-of-state institutions are authorized by the Kansas Board of Regents to operate in Kansas, and the Board continues to administer Kan-ed, a program for facilitating and promoting distance learning and telemedicine in schools, libraries and hospitals. Visit the Kansas Board of Regents online at www.kansasregents.org.
Governor Brownback Proclaims October 3 “Manufacturing Day” (PDF download)