High schoolers take part in virtual welding at Manufacturing Day.

SCAPPOOSE, Ore. – Portland Community College and the Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center (OMIC) are collaborating with regional industry, education and workforce development partners to host the annual “Manufacturing Day” on Friday, Oct. 6 in Columbia County.  In this open house event, students and the public are invited to experiment, discover and learn together in Scappoose.

Manufacturing (MFG) Day will be free and open to the public from 2-5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 6 with invited high schools visiting earlier in the day.. The event is jointly held at PCC’s Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Training Center (34001 NE Wagner Ct.) and the OMIC Research and Development Center (33701 Charles T. Parker Way) in Scappoose. Parking is free.

MFG Day celebrates those who make the products that keep people safe, enrich lives, strengthen economic and national security, and provide countless opportunities for communities and the workforce. Likewise, OMIC facilities are comprised of scientists, engineers, industry leaders and academic experts in search of innovations for metals manufacturing.

The event is the largest of its kind in Oregon with more than 300 students from around the region participating. MFG Day features live demonstrations of 3D printing, laser cutting and virtual welding, as well as engaging hands-on activities that spark creativity to provide regional students and community members an opportunity to learn about the latest opportunities in advanced manufacturing. Local, regional, national and global participating partners include companies such as Malarkey Roofing Products, Bullseye Glass, CleanMark Labels, Making Made Simple, Leupold & Stevens, Oregon Vocational Rehabilitation, Greenleaf Corporation, Sandvik Coromant, and event sponsors Port of Columbia County and George Fox University.

PCC’s OMIC Training Center, built from the 2008 and 2017 PCC bond measures, is designed to inspire and prepare Oregon’s workforce for good-paying jobs and careers in advanced manufacturing. In the end, students benefit from industry-driven training and Oregon employers are able to hire highly sought-after workers who have the most current skill sets.

The training center offers a variety of manufacturing-related training programs, ranging from traditional career and technical education to apprenticeship models that combine on-the-job training with classroom and lab instruction. With an emphasis on craftsmanship, professionalism, and placing graduates into high-demand manufacturing jobs, students can complete an apprenticeship program and/or an associate degree or certificate leading to an advanced degree.

Learn more at www.pcc.edu/locations/columbia-county/ or visit the MFG Day event site at https://www.pcc.edu/go/2023-manufacturing-day/ 

About OMIC Research and Development: OMIC R&D is a world-class collaborative environment bringing together industry, higher education and government in partnership to develop new tools, techniques and technologies to address near-term manufacturing challenges through applied research and advanced technical training. For more information, visit www.OMIC.us

About Portland Community College: Founded in 1961, Portland Community College is the largest post-secondary institution in Oregon and provides training, degree and certificate completion, and lifelong learning to more than 50,000 full- and part-time students in Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Columbia counties. PCC has four comprehensive campuses, 10 education centers or areas served, and approximately 200 community locations in the Portland metropolitan area. The PCC district encompasses a 1,500-square-mile area in northwest Oregon and offers two-year degrees, one-year certificate programs, short-term training, alternative education, pre-college courses and life-long learning.

Visit PCC news on the web at http://news.pcc.edu/

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