The Association of Manufacturers Bay Area (AMBayArea) and several of its members are participating in the first Virtual Manufacturing Week.

Earn & Learn, collaborating with Contra Costa Community College District, is co-creating the first Virtual Manufacturing Week in Contra Costa County, California for students, parents and teachers to learn more about the future of advanced manufacturing and its jobs. The event is being sponsored by Bishop-Wisecarver, a Pittsburg-based linear motion manufacturer and  Corteva Agriscience, a Pittsburg-based agriculture manufacturer.

The program will be held September 28 to October 2, 2020. The week-long series will be conducted entirely virtually – including virtual tours, guest speakers, panel discussions and presentations from leaders and experts in manufacturing. In addition to the companies mentioned above, participants will include manufacturing companies such as Fresenius, Benchmark Precision Manufacturing, Galaxy Desserts, Ramar Foods, and the PBF Martinez Refinery. Other participants include the Association of Manufacturers Bay Area (AMBayArea) and the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce’s “Pittsburg Made” Project.

The events and activities of the week culminate in “Trades Day,” where companies will conduct live interactive demonstrations from many of the core Building Trades needed in the design and construction of housing and other buildings.

Students who might not have the opportunity in any other way can now see what advanced manufacturing is like. Over 1000 students participated in 2019’s Manufacturing Week in Contra Costa and even more are predicted to join in 2020.

“We are very excited about reaching students in completely new ways even in the face of a pandemic,” said Gina Del Carlo, CEO and Founder of Earn & Learn. “We appreciate that our sponsors and other participating employers, who are all leading manufacturers in the area, recognize the importance of events like this, and have committed to giving learners a glimpse —and literally a “glimpse” — into their operations. This is a  successful way for students and their teachers to learn what advanced manufacturing is really like, and what jobs there will be in the future. The need is great.”

In November 2019, there were over 480,000 open jobs in manufacturing in California alone. New technologies in advanced manufacturing are predicted to increase the need for workers with higher levels of skills and education for higher-wage occupations.

Events like Manufacturing Week 2020 help accelerate the pipeline from school to employment by connecting students with local community colleges’ manufacturing pathway and certificate programs that prepare and help young people qualify for the careers they learn about during Manufacturing Week. This day will culminate with a Virtual Campus Tour of Los Medanos College’s Manufacturing Program facilities and industry classrooms.

Counselors, deans, faculty and students from local middle- and high schools and colleges will participate in this unique event and connect with employers and industry experts.

Carmen Perkins, Earn & Learn’s Chief Operational Officer reinforces the point, “There’s really nothing else like this.  We are very fortunate to be part of creating the newest version of Manufacturing Week using technology that lets us be in a factory at a distance. It brings together employers and educators all for the next generation of students as they prepare to enter the workforce. Even COVID could not stop this.”

Earn & Learn provides a variety of services to connect workforce developers, employers and K-12 to college educators to help students have work-based learning experiences including training, professional development and ELENA, a proprietary engaging platform.

Contra Costa Manufacturing Week 2020 is part of the national MFG Day series of events, which helps show the reality of modern manufacturing careers by encouraging thousands of companies and educational institutions around the nation to open their doors to students, parents, teachers and community leaders. MFG Day empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges so they can help their communities and future generations thrive.

“This is the future,” says Del Carlo. “And we at Earn & Learn always plan to be part of the future through events like Virtual Manufacturing Week 2020.”

View full schedule of events.

Earn & Learn is California’s infrastructure for launching, scaling and sustaining agile work-based learning programs. We partner with schools, employers and communities to effectively scale work-based learning experiences for all learners.  We are creating a movement of employers, educators and learners dedicated to building a more diverse and inclusive workforce. At Earn & Learn we believe that every learner should have the opportunity to explore the world of work and achieve their fullest potential.