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From Home Furnishing Business
Ashley Furniture Celebrates Manufacturing Day with Tours for Local Students
October 27,
2022 by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Industry 
Ashley Furniture Industries is celebrating National Manufacturing Day by providing tours to local students for the sixth year in a row. The company will welcome over 700 middle and high school students to its facilities throughout the month after two years on hiatus because of the pandemic. National Manufacturing Day, the first Friday in Oct., is celebrated throughout the month by manufacturers across the country.
Manufacturing Day, originated by the National Association of Manufacturers, is the industry's biggest initiative to build excitement around the future of the modern manufacturing workforce and engage with students to demonstrate the exciting opportunities within the industry.
As manufacturers seek to fill 4 million high-skill, high-tech and high-paying jobs over the next decade, the need to educate the public of the endless opportunities and career pathways is exponential.
Ashley will tour the students through their advanced manufacturing operations, showcasing the drastic advancements that have been implemented with robotics and automation. Employees from various areas of manufacturing will speak to their career paths, including product design, automation, fabrication, assembly, quality and more.
Students will also learn about the importance of manufacturing and the economic impact on the surrounding communities as well as the country.
"Our team was very excited to open our doors once more to students from across the U.S.," said Todd Wanek, president and CEO, Ashley Furniture Industries.
"With the advancement of manufacturing technologies and equipment, comes an entire new set of careers that require a skilled workforce interested in pursuing them. By sharing this excitement with young students, we hope to inspire the next generation of makers."
"Our students were excited to see the careers available in Ripley, Miss. and how their current education plan may affect which career path they want to pursue," said Damon Ladner, Ripley Middle School. "The visit correlated with the mission of the South Tippah School District: "To build a stronger community through quality education."
If students begin seeing the value and rewards for improving their education at an early age, it will improve the workforce available to our community partners. Manufacturing day also served as a starting point for conversations about future career goals and real-world application of subject matter."
Participating schools in Mississippi include North Pontotoc Middle School and Ripley Middle School. Participating school districts in Wisconsin include Arcadia, Blair-Taylor, Eleva-Strum, Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau, Holy Family Catholic School, Independence, Saints Peter & Paul Catholic School, and Whitehall. Northwest Middle School - Winston Salem in North Carolina and Van Guard High School in Texas are also participating.
Ashley has developed several partnerships with K-12 and post-secondary schools over the past five years, investing millions of dollars and resources towards various initiatives.
These combined efforts include investing in STEM-based learning opportunities, scholarships, providing students with exposure to technical trades and career opportunities, instructor training, and robotics programs.