Manufacturing Month is being commemorated at Jamestown Community College’s Jamestown and Cattaraugus County campuses during October.

The economic impact of manufacturing in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties will be emphasized in ceremonies sponsored by JCC, the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST), and Dream It Do It Western New York.

Elected officials have been invited to present proclamations at JCC’s Manufacturing Technology Institute facilities in Jamestown today and Olean on October 15.

“Manufacturing Month presents an opportunity for JCC to interact with manufacturers, students, and educators, showcase our current technology, and introduce new automation, controls, and robotics components,” said Holger Ekanger, JCC’s vice president of workforce readiness.

JCC students can participate in a Manufacturing Day virtual trade show on Oct. 16. Registration details are available at https://newyorkmep.org/manufacturing-day/#. During the event, students will learn about, and have the ability to talk to, manufacturers in western New York and throughout New York state.

JCC offers industrial equipment technology, machine tool technology, welding technology, and CAD/CNC certificate programs and the welding technology and mechanical technology degree programs at its MTI facilities.

Manufacturing Day, which was celebrated throughout the nation on October 2, provided other avenues for engagement with students.

“Manufacturing Day is an opportunity to highlight the great jobs and benefits provided by manufacturers as well as the innovation that takes place on a daily basis in our facilities,” stated Rhonda Johnson, president of the MAST board of directors.

“To grow manufacturing we need to build our regions workforce,” Johnson added. “It is incumbent on all of us to engage with our students, young adults and displaced workers and have a conversation about manufacturing careers. It needs to happen at the dinner table, in our school rooms, within our own workplaces and throughout the community. Manufacturing has a storied history in the region, to have a strong future manufacturing needs a workforce willing to put in the hours, problem solve and innovate.”

“Manufacturing remains the backbone of our regional economy with $7.5 billion in shipments produced in the three-county region of Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties,” added Todd Tranum, executive director of MAST.

“Manufacturing contributes significantly to the economy through wages, benefits, purchased services and products, along with paying taxes.” Tranum emphasized.

“Manufacturers in Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties pay out $837 million in payroll annually.”