WARWICK, RI — The Manufacturing Industry Partnership will host the third annual Manufacturing Workforce Summit on May 28.

During the event, attendees will have a chance to give live input into the evolving workforce development programs for Rhode Island’s manufacturers. The summit will include an interactive analysis to provide real-time answers to questions designed to address workforce challenges related to manufacturing.

Speakers at this year’s Summit include Neil D. Steinberg of the Rhode Island Foundation, Ryan Costella of Click Bond, Inc., and Rick Brooks of the Governor’s Workforce Board. The three speakers will share their varied expertise in workforce development, the manufacturing industry, and business community leadership with attendees.

“One of the MIP’s goals is to improve the image of manufacturing throughout the state,” said Chris Matteson, MIP’s workforce and career coordinator. “One way to do this is creating spaces for industry members to come together and discuss the best ways to make manufacturers and job seekers aware of the wealth of resources available to them.”

Formed in 2012, the MIP identifies manufacturing workforce challenges and connects employers with resources to address workforce needs. The first Manufacturing Workforce Summit was held in 2013 and brought together manufacturers, schools, and policy makers. Presenters shared the results of the Manufacturing Skills Gap study conducted by MIP with consultants from the Workforce Strategy Center and experts from Texas State University.

In 2014, the second annual summit focused on the role of education and training with information shared by Diane Cherry from the Institute for Emerging Issues at NC State University.

This year, the summit will focus on manufacturing resources available in the state of Rhode Island, industry trends, and how the MIP can help manufacturers achieve their workforce goals. MIP will drive solutions on three fronts: 1) improving the perception of manufacturing careers to attract more young people; 2) increasing the number of quality manufacturing education programs offered in high schools, community colleges, and technical schools; and 3) implementing policy changes needed to support goals one and two.

“We are thrilled to bring together Rhode Island’s manufacturers and policy makers at this year’s Manufacturing Industry Summit,” said Ruth Gobeille, communications manager of the MIP. “Conducting an interactive analysis with these groups will allow the MIP to present data to employers right at the summit so that we can create a work plan for solutions immediately.

Interested manufacturers can register for the summit through Eventbrite by visiting here or by emailing Ruth Gobeille at [email protected].

For more information on the Manufacturing Workforce Summit, visit rimip.org.