This content was published: September 19, 2023. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.

Manufacturing Day at OMIC welcomes region’s high school students, public

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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.

oMIC fair

MFG Day vendor showing manufacturing techniques to Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici.

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. MGF 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 Misty Bouse

A Portland Community College public relations specialist, Misty Bouse has been working in college advancement for a decade. A graduate of University of Oregon, Misty has worked as a managing editor for BUILDERNews Magazine and as a contribu... more »