Windsor-Essex manufacturers open their doors to curious students, job seekers

Around 800 local secondary students and job seekers toured local manufacturing facilities across the region to mark the 10th annual manufacturing day.

The daylong initiative works to address labour gaps in the manufacturing sector, and employers will get the opportunity to connect with future potential employees.

Twenty-three facilities offered the tours, which were intended to allow people ask questions and experience "a day in the life," according to Workforce WindsorEssex, one of the organizations behind the event.

Violet Chang, 17, was among the students who visited one of the manufacturers, CenterLine, on Friday.

"I'm also a visual learner so this is something that could appeal to me. It's also majorly independent and for introverted people."

CenterLine says taking part in manufacturing day helps them to grow their talent.

"We bring in high school students, college co-op students, and over the last 10 years I managed this program along [with my colleague]," said Karl Mroczkowski, employee development training and safety co-ordinator. "The high school students that have come through this program, or spent a year or half a year with us, it has been over 150 students, and many of them are still working for us."

One of the tour guides at CenterLine says he got involved with the trades while still in school.

Brent Allen, an industrial mechanic, took part in the Ontario Youth Apprenticeship program back when he was in Grade 10.

"I wanted to make money as young as I possibly could, and it was great in that aspect where I was able to get out of classroom, work with my hands and just be able to work, see the work field at a young age."

Allen added he's always learned best through hands-on experience, and this apprenticeship program allowed him to follow into his parents and grandparents' footsteps.

"Just the whole experience, I was able to go from knowing a little to knowing a lot."

Tashlyn Teskey, senior manager of research and innovation with Workforce WindsorEssex, says the goal is to get job seekers out into manufacturing facilities and to see what it looks like to work in the sector.

"It's one of the largest sectors with the most employees, so we want to make sure that they have a talent pool that they can continue to pull from, and that that can come from our local students."

For those whose interest is piqued by what they see and learn on manufacturing day, there is opportunity to get  experience on the job. Teskey says there is a lot of room for students to take part in the apprenticeship program and work before graduating high school.

"A lot of the hosts of today's tours also take on students, so anyone in Grade 11 or 12 can start an apprenticeship early... they can start working in these facilities and get paid and get credit for it before they even graduate."

Allen shared advice with a group of visiting students on learning beyond the classroom: "If you're bored and sitting in class, it's always a good way to get yourself out of an environment where you don't really feel like you're learning as much. I was a hands-on learner and that's why I do what I do now."