RI’s Future in the Making: Manufacturing Day 2025
RI’s Future in the Making: Manufacturing Day 2025 Invites Students, Manufacturers, and Sponsors
Interactive career exploration event returns October 8th in Providence
Interactive career exploration event returns October 8th in Providence
Rhode Island’s next generation of makers will get a hands-on look at what a career in modern manufacturing can offer during Manufacturing Day 2025, hosted by Polaris MEP. Now in its fourth year, the event takes place on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at Farm Fresh Rhode Island, 10 Sims Avenue, Providence.
Manufacturing Day (MFGDay) is part of the nationwide celebration of Manufacturing Month, held every October to inspire the talent pipeline and strengthen connections between students, educators, and industry leaders. Last year’s event introduced more than 350 local students to well-paying, in-demand careers in the state’s manufacturing sector.
Engaging Students in Rhode Island’s Future
School buses will bring 10th–12th graders for a “taste test” of manufacturing careers. At no cost, students will rotate through activity stations that let them:
- Code a cobot
- Reverse engineer a part using 3D scanning technology
- Solve puzzles using Lean thinking
- “Paint” fabricated metal via VR goggles
- Build a tower by applying industry-standard decision-making processes
A Call for Exhibitors and Sponsors
Local manufacturers are invited to host interactive stations to showcase their company and industry while sparking excitement among Rhode Island’s future workforce. Sponsors can also invest in the long-term vitality of the industry by supporting this event, ensuring participation remains free to schools.
Why it matters: Surveys of Rhode Island students before and after Manufacturing Day show powerful results year after year:
- Increased awareness of manufacturing jobs by 15 points
- Eliminated the perception that manufacturing lacks interesting and rewarding careers
- Reduced the number of students ruling out careers in manufacturing
- Boosted motivation, especially among 9th and 11th graders, to pursue a manufacturing career
Event Details
What: Manufacturing Day 2025 Career Exploration Experience
When: Wednesday, October 8, 2025. Student sessions begin at 7:30am and run throughout the day.
Where: Farm Fresh Rhode Island, 10 Sims Avenue, Providence, RI 02909
Who Should Participate:
- Schools: Reserve time to bring your students
- Exhibitors: Showcase your company through an interactive station
- Sponsors: Support the future of Rhode Island’s manufacturing workforce
Thank you to our current event sponsors!
Community Catalyst: General Dynamics Electric Boat
Powering the Pipeline: Nautilus Defense, New England Institute of Technology (NEIT), and Nordson EFD
About the Organizers
Polaris MEP is Rhode Island’s statewide non-profit Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center, an affiliate of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NIST MEP). Mission-driven, Polaris MEP provides competitive business improvement programs to help manufacturers achieve operational excellence and growth by expanding opportunities across the Ocean State.www.PolarisMEP.org
