More than 1,500 students from 38 high schools in the Metro East and Missouri turned out to learn more about education and careers in manufacturing at the Southwestern Illinois College Manufacturing Day Open House recently. 

It was the biggest MFG Day event in Illinois and one of the largest in the country.

Visitors had the chance to tour the SWIC Precision Machining Technology, Electrical/ Electronics, Heating Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, and Welding Technology labs. Plus, see first-hand how cutting-edge computerized machining and robotic welding equipment is changing technical education and manufacturing. Also, high school students had an opportunity to try their hands at virtual welding, enjoy 3D printing demonstrations, meet more than 30 local manufacturers and tour a local manufacturing facility.

Andrew Crowe, founder of the New American Manufacturing Renaissance, a movement to revitalize American manufacturing, served as the keynote speaker. The Department of Defense Project MFG recognized the SWIC 2022 winners of the Project MFG competition; and SkillsUSA recognized the SWIC 2022 medal winners at the opening ceremony.

The ninth annual event was presented in partnership with the Gene Haas Foundation, Granite City Economic Development Department, IMEC – Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center, Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois, Madison County Employment and Training, St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department and the Southwestern Madison County Chamber of Commerce.

For more MFG Day photos or more information about SWIC Technical Education programs, visit swic.edu/tech-ed.