Manufacturing Day Introduces Jackson, TN, Students to New Career Paths

Today’s manufacturing jobs have undergone remarkable transformations since the days of your grandfather’s factory.

By Laura Hill on July 28, 2023

As students are finding out, today’s manufacturing jobs are not what they might expect. But soon enough, they realize that this field offers a promising work environment with just enough challenge and perks to set you up for life.

“Manufacturing has undergone significant technological changes over the last decade,” says Vicki Bunch, chief workforce development officer for the Greater Jackson Chamber. “In today’s job market, there are hardly any jobs that don’t require some level of skill. Manufacturing jobs are highly paid with good benefits and are more likely to involve robotics and technology.”

Manufacturing is celebrated nationally throughout the month of October, but Jackson-Madison County Schools, Jackson State Community College and the Chamber held their annual Manufacturing Day on October 21, 2022. About 100 high school students attended the event, where they toured manufacturing plants, met management and heard from peers about their experiences working in the field.

Participating employers included Gerdau, Stanley Black & Decker, Young Touchstone Inc., Printpack Inc., Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Pacific Manufacturing Tennessee, Carlstar Group, LyondellBasell Industries, Bluescope Buildings North America and Jackson Energy Authority.

So successful has the event become over the years that on March 10, 2023, it inspired West Tennessee Healthcare Career Exploration Day, a joint project of the Chamber and West Tennessee Healthcare. About 50 middle school students spent a day exploring the hospital’s many departments, meeting staff and learning what goes on behind the scenes.

“Kids tend to discount health care altogether, but a hospital is like a small city with all kinds of jobs, from social workers to pharmacists to IT staff,” Bunch says. “The kids seemed very amazed by it all. They had very good questions and left with a lot of curiosity about the health-care field.”