Help Students Discover Manufacturing #Give2NBT

The national Manufacturing Day  movement, founded by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association International (FMA), has created an awareness, encouraging businesses to open their doors to the community. Every October, student groups tour businesses to get a feel for what’s inside. They find clean, automated, efficient facilities–sometimes all they need are people to work there.
Nuts, Bolts & Thingamajigs (NBT), the foundation FMA, has been working over the last 20 years to inspire and encourage today’s youth as well as non-traditional students to pursue manufacturing careers and fill the pipeline of skilled workers.

“You don’t have to get dirty” is the message initiatives like MFG DAY are trying to instill in the minds of today’s students. A successful career in manufacturing is not what public image conveys. Robotics and advanced technology have turned manufacturing into something entirely different from the perception of our grandfather’s factories. There are compelling reasons why pursuing a career in manufacturing is worthwhile, namely because the required skills can be learned quickly, in many instances in only two years, that lead to working and earning a steady, rewarding paycheck.

Any support you can give to the Help Students Discover Manufacturing campaign will help fund additional scholarships and summer manufacturing camp grants. Reaching more students to discover manufacturing opportunities is the short-term goal. Eliminating the skills gap and solving the manufacturing worker shortage is the long-term goal. More donations mean more opportunities for students to invent, learn, and experience making things with their hands.

How can you help, what moves you?
Create an awareness of your own and raise donations to help your industry. There are several ways that you can make a difference:

1. Donate to the Help Students Discover Manufacturing fundraiser in honor of #GivingTuesday

2. Set up a team, share the link, and fundraise for this campaign—create an account today!

3. Ask your company to match the donations you raise and get recognized by FMA and NBT

4. Spread the word! Post, tweet, share, email, write a note–any way you want to say it—tell your story. Let your network know why #Give2NBT is important to you.