COI Manufacturing Celebrates National Manufacturing Day in Northwest Georgia

On October 5th, the Georgia Center of Innovation for Manufacturing along with a host of partners including Sumo Robot League, Shaw Industries, and the Dalton Chamber of Commerce hosted nearly 80 high school sophomores from 9 schools in North Georgia to celebrate National Manufacturing Day 2017. Students from Calhoun High, Coahulla Creek, Christian Heritage, Dalton High, North Murray, Northwest Georgia College and Career Academy, Northwest Whitfield, Murray County High, and Southeast Whitfield came together at NWGCCA to learn about the intricacies of manufacturing in the next generation.

This year's event focused on coding and manufacturing. The attendees split into pairs and were given their own Sumo Robot to assemble and code. Sumo Robots provide an inexpensive and less technically complex entry point into the world of coding and manufacturing, so students who might not be interested or able to join a larger robotics team get some hands-on experience and exposure to the problem solving and practical applications of coding. The students were given the opportunity to solve problems in real time, which is ultimately the essence of manufacturing.

These skills are necessary for the next generation's workforce development, and events like National Manufacturing Day are introducing a wide swath of tomorrow's manufacturers to its essential skills.

In addition to the students' introduction to Sumo Robot League's coding and manufacturing skills and the opportunity for hands-on learning and troubleshooting, each school was able to take home two Sumo Robots each in appreciation for participating in the event. This will lead to further classroom learning and continued development of tomorrow's manufacturing workforce.

Events like NWGCCA's Manufacturing Day are crucial to developing the skills that will be necessary for next-generation manufacturing jobs. By addressing the needs of advanced manufacturers in the future, the Center of Innovation for Manufacturing hopes to set up Georgia's workforce for success well into the future.