More than 1,100 high school students and jobseekers got a hands-on look at local career opportunities Friday as part of Windsor-Essex’s 11th annual Manufacturing Day.
The daylong initiative saw 21 manufacturers across the region welcome tours to showcase careers in modern manufacturing and help address a growing labour shortage in the industry.
According to Statistics Canada’s August 2025 Labour Force Survey, about 49,600 people are employed in manufacturing in Windsor-Essex, representing nearly 22 per cent of the region’s workforce.
Organizers said the event helps connect students, educators, and employers while highlighting advanced technology and the diversity of work available.
“Workforce WindsorEssex is incredibly proud to be part of an event that spotlights the region’s largest and most integral industry, allowing students and jobseekers to experience the potential of the trades, for the 11th successful year,” said Mikal Fakhreddin, a project coordinator and research analyst with Workforce WindsorEssex.
Invest WindsorEssex CEO Gordon Orr said the collaboration between education and industry has “never been more critical.”
“By connecting students, educators, and employers, this event helps bridge the skills gap, prepares the next generation of talent and strengthens the competitiveness of our regional industries,” Orr said.
Manufacturing Day, first launched in Windsor-Essex in 2013, has grown from six companies hosting 150 students to one of the largest events of its kind in Canada.
Nicole Vlanich, executive director of the Canadian Association of Mold Makers and Automate Canada, said the initiative is about “opening doors and showing the next generation the incredible opportunities in Canadian manufacturing.”
Sponsors of this year’s event included Plasman, Anchor Danly, Cavalier Tool & Manufacturing, NextGen Mold Technologies, UE Enclosures, EnerQuest Technology Solutions, and Atlas Tube.