Washington, DC - On the 5th Manufacturing Day (October 7, 2016), the Nation will celebrate the vitality and reality of American manufacturing to youth and workers across the country.

With ingenuity and a determined spirit, hardworking Americans are creating products and unlocking new technologies that will shape our Nation and grow our economy… On National Manufacturing Day, we celebrate all those who proudly stand behind our goods and services made in America, and we renew our commitment to winning the race for the jobs of tomorrow.” ~ President Obama, Manufacturing Day 2014 Proclamation

American manufacturing is world-class aircraft engines, next-generation electronics, life-saving biopharmaceuticals, and cutting-edge automobiles. It is inspirational entrepreneurs that run urban factories started in dorm rooms, and revolutionary technologies enabling products we never thought possible, from bendable electronics to synthetic organs. It is a resurgent industry, emerging from the near-collapse of the Great Recession, where more than 800,000 manufacturing jobs have been added since February 2010—the first sustained job growth in the sector since the 1990s. And it is an industry that is local, where Made in America’s competitive edge is rooted in the talent and resilience of strong communities and the world’s most productive workers.

Manufacturing Day is an annual celebration of the strength of American manufacturing and an opportunity to educate and motivate the next generation of manufacturers.

Last year, Manufacturing Day inspired factories, colleges, and cities to hold more than 2,600 manufacturing showcases across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C. More than 400,000 people experienced first-hand what is made in their communities and the skills needed to pursue rewarding manufacturing careers by touring plants, exploring career opportunities, collaborating in hackathons, and celebrating local manufacturing communities.

These experiences matter—after participating in Manufacturing Day events, a recent study found that 81 percent of students and 91 percent of educators were more convinced that manufacturing provides careers that are interesting and rewarding, helping to inspire the next generation of manufacturers.

This year, we can do even more—that is why, today, the Administration is launching an effort to inspire the next generation of manufacturers and support entrepreneurs manufacturing their first product in the United States. We want to engage companies, universities, mayors and local communities, foundations, philanthropists, and individual makers and entrepreneurs. There are a number of ways to get involved. For example:

• Improving the image of manufacturing, by sharing the diverse testimonials from today’s manufacturers or hosting a virtual factory tour so that anyone can experience modern shop floors.
• Strengthening the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education pipeline by adding making and manufacturing courses to K-12 Career and Technical Education and undergraduate programs.
• Encouraging entrepreneurs to scale-up manufacturing in the United States by supporting the development of next-generation hardware and software that increase the variety and value of products that hobbyists and startups can manufacture, and investing in shared manufacturing facilities.
• Linking manufacturers to the Maker movement by serving as the anchor tenant for a regional makerspace or supporting maker spaces in schools and after-school programs.

Let us know what you can do to get involved using this online form by Friday, September 9, 2016.