Students go to work for Windsor’s largest Manufacturing Day

Manufacturing Day in Windsor, Ont., on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor)

More than 1,000 students walked the floors at some of the region’s most prominent manufacturers as part of Windsor’s largest Manufacturing Day to date.

Focused on promoting jobs within the industry, students from Grade 7 into high school toured some of the 23 participating local employers.

“It's great for students to get a hands-on experience about what the trades are and come into the facilities,” said Christina Fernandes, the Plant Manager of Anchor Danly, one of the participating manufacturers.

Throughout the day, about 200 students used the Anchor Danly facilities to experience CNC machining, welding, flame cutting, IT, and engineering departments.

” A lot of the students really loved getting their hands-on experience of what the trade is and what it's like to do it,” Fernandes said.

“I think the message that we really wanted to convey to students, and especially high school students is that manufacturing is a good industry to come in.”

The industry, along with the trade sector as a whole, has experienced a growing need for qualified workers in recent years. According to Workforce WindsorEssex, about 18 per cent of the region’s labour market is made up of manufacturing jobs.

As part of Manufacturing Day, Kal Fakhreddin, a Project Coordinator and Research Analyst for Workforce WindsorEssex, said the goal is to destigmatize beliefs around the industry.

“A lot of them have kind of a negative perception of what manufacturing is a lot of labor, a lot of heavy work on the body, maybe dirty facilities, and that's really not the case anymore with technology the way it is,” Fakhreddin told CTV News in an interview.

Based on data from local job boards, Windsor-Essex had 265 active job postings in manufacturing, as of Friday afternoon.

“Anything in the trades is in demand right now, and we have amazing programs at the college level,” Fakhreddin noted.

Open job positions include opportunities at Anchor Danly, where Fernandes said they hope students can look at the industry as a career rather than a job.

“So I really want students to have an appreciation for manufacturing, that there are a variety of types of jobs and skill sets that this industry needs.”