Manufacturing Day is a nationwide event designed to showcase careers in manufacturing while also helping to shift the perception of the industry for future generations. This year, Stiles University hosted a Manufacturing Day event in Grand Rapids, Mich.

The event kicked off with a tour of Homag Machinery North America, where students witnessed how German-engineered flat table CNC machines are built and assembled in the United States.

Then students visited Stiles Machinery where they had the opportunity to see those same machines in action as members of Stiles’ staff demonstrated how to program and operate them to produce hundreds of wooden cell phone holders. Once the machines had processed the parts, each student had the chance to sand and stain their own cell phone holder which they were able to take home as a memento.

“Manufacturing Day is not only beneficial for students, exposing them to high-quality careers made available within the manufacturing industry, but it also serves as a learning opportunity for us, helping us get to know the next generation of employees and understand what they are looking for in a future employer,” Thomas Allott, manager of Stiles University, said in a statement.

CLICK HERE for more information.