If you aren’t familiar with MFG Day, it is worth checking out. Manufacturing Day℠ is a celebration of modern manufacturing and it is meant to inspire the next generation of manufacturers. Manufacturing Day takes place on the first Friday in October—this year is Oct 7, 2016.

To participate in #MFGday, companies and organizations plan events for their communities that celebrate manufacturing. There are nearly 2000 events from across the country listed on their website for 2016. You’ll find everything from plant tours to career days to networking events.

On their website, they give their mission as:

MFG Day addresses common misperceptions about manufacturing by giving manufacturers an opportunity to open their doors and show, in a coordinated effort, what manufacturing is — and what it isn’t. By working together during and after MFG DAY, manufacturers will begin to address the skilled labor shortage they face, connect with future generations, take charge of the public image of manufacturing, and ensure the ongoing prosperity of the whole industry.

Supported by a group of industry sponsors and co-producers, MFG DAY is designed to amplify the voice of individual manufacturers and coordinate a collective chorus of manufacturers with common concerns and challenges. The rallying point for a growing mass movement, MFG DAY empowers manufacturers to come together to address their collective challenges so they can help their communities and future generations thrive.

Check it out — maybe your company will want to get involved if it isn’t already!