On October 4th, in celebration of Manufacturing Day, the Mason County Growth Alliance teamed up with Career & Technical Education, West Shore Community College, and local employers to bring the world of manufacturing and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to students at OJ DeJonge Middle School in Ludington. The goal of this event was to introduce students and teachers to manufacturing in an effort to change people's perceptions about today's manufacturing environment, and also to draw attention to the outstanding opportunities that careers in manufacturing can provide. As a part of the festivities, students had the opportunity to get hands-on experience with a virtual welder, a 3-D printer, and an electronic dash board, as well as the chance to learn a little about local manufacturers.

Manufacturing Day is an annual national event executed at the local level supported by thousands of manufacturing partners as they host students, teachers, parents, job seekers and other local community members at open houses, plant tours and presentations designed to showcase modern manufacturing technology and careers.

What are the employability skills that students need in order to graduate from high school college- and career-ready? That is the question that the Growth Alliance, in partnership with a collaborative of local leadership from business and education, has been wrestling with for the past several months. As a result, this collective is investigating a model framework coming out of the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District called the Skills 4 Success. Over the next several months, MCGA will highlight the seven components of the Skills 4 Success framework. This month's highlight: Flexibility & Adaptability.

Its no big secret. The 21st century world is changing and evolving at a faster pace than ever before. Due to innovations in technology, communication, and transportation, the landscape of the workplace - and even the economy and society as a whole - bringing new ideas, problems, and opportunities our way every day. As a result, individuals need to be able to respond and adapt on the fly based on these constantly changing conditions if they are going to be successful in today's workforce. This sort of approach to life-long learning, self-reflection, and open-mindedness is exactly the sort of characteristic that educators are looking to reinforce by using the Skills 4 Success to highlight Flexibility and Adaptability.

The Skills 4 Success framework is a mechanism for employing common terminology around these broadly accepted ideals in business and education in the hopes of clearly defining expectations for the next generation as they prepare to enter the workforce. For a more in-depth look at Flexibility & Adaptability and the other Skills 4 Success, click here.

On Wednesday, November 22, the Growth Alliance and Ludington & Scottville Area Chamber of Commerce will be teaming up with partners across West Michigan to put on ReThink West Michigan. This casual networking event connects West Michigan employers with professionals who are back home for the holiday season in an attempt to recruit home-grown talent back to our area. This event will be paired with the Chamber's Business After Hours, and will also provide the opportunity for advocates of Ludington & Mason County to network with prospective recruits and promote the benefits of living in the area, all while learning more about the talent needs of local industry.

To learn more about this event and how to participate as an employer or a job seeker, visit www.rethinkwm.com/ludington or contact Brandy Solberg at 231-835-0324.

About the Mason County Growth Alliance:

Mason County Growth Alliance

spencer @ludington.org | 231-845-6646 | masoncountygrowth.com