COVID Normal: Passionate, Committed Manufacturers

Blog from Amanda Cooper, Director of Strategic Initiatives

I heard a new phrase today that caught my attention:  COVID normal. It’s one of those phrases that is immediately and intuitively understood.
 
COVID normal is checking to make sure you have your keys, wallet and face mask before leaving the house.
 
COVID normal is spending 75% of your work day meeting with colleagues via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx or one of the other many video conferencing platforms.
 
COVID normal is making sure your home WIFI is up and running before your kids get up to start virtual school in the morning.
 
For most of us, our lives look decidedly different than they did eight months ago. We’ve adapted how we work.  We’ve found new ways to stay connected with friends and family. We’ve adjusted our routines. 
 
At Lakeshore Advantage, we’ve had the unique opportunity to see first-hand how our places of employment have evolved as well.  Businesses have pivoted to new product lines and offerings. Workplaces have embraced new safety protocols designed to keep employees healthy. Sales teams and service professionals have figured out how to promote their products and solve customer issues from remote locations. Innovation in every facet of doing business has become COVID normal.
 
This November, thousands of local students will get a taste of that innovation through Discover Manufacturing Week.
 
Each year, West Michigan sets aside one week for manufacturers to open their doors and talk to middle and high school students about their processes, products and work. The goal is to increase student awareness and understanding of the wide variety of challenging, fulfilling and profitable careers in our area’s largest industry: manufacturing. 
 
This year’s event will be held November 9^th-13^th. And instead of onsite tours, Discover Manufacturing Week is trying something new – a region-wide virtual event. Ottawa Area Intermediate School District and Allegan Area Educational Services Agency have partnered with Discover Manufacturing to coordinate this year’s event on the lakeshore. Here’s how it will work:
 

• Approximately 40 manufacturers from around West Michigan have been recruited to produce a short video tour of their facilities.
• Discover Manufacturing will host 10 one-hour virtual events via zoom during the week.
• Schools can sign up their students to attend a virtual event featuring employers in their local area. 
• During the event, the employers will share their video tour and talk about a variety of topics including: “Why Manufacturing Matters,” “Entry Level Jobs,” and “Taking Care of Our People and Our Planet.” Each session will end with a live Q&A session with students.

 
In addition, each participating manufacturers’ video will reside on the Discover Manufacturing YouTube Channel so that students and parents can watch any and all of them as they consider their future career options.
 
We want to say a special thank you to the Allegan County and Ottawa County manufacturers that agreed to help make this new Discover Manufacturing Week possible: Gentex, Haworth, Herman Miller, Hybrid Machining, JR Automation Technologies, Koops, Quality Car Wash, Royal Technologies, Tennant Co., and Trans-Matic, DeWys Manufacturing, Shape Corp, UV Angel, Global Tech.
 
So many things have changed in 2020. However, even ‘COVID normal’ hasn’t dampened our manufacturers’ passion for connecting with our local students. For that, our Lakeshore Advantage team gives you a virtual standing ovation!
 
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(Note: If you are a manufacturer that would like to participate in future virtual Discover Manufacturing events, please contact me at Amanda.cooper@lakeshoreadvantage.com)