More than 170 local manufacturers, educators, and community partners attended a networking breakfast at McHenry County College (MCC) last Wednesday, October 19. The 12th annual event featured resource tables, college updates, and a panel discussion on the timely topic of organizational culture. A groundbreaking ceremony for the College’s new Foglia Center for Advanced Technology and Innovation (CATI) immediately followed the breakfast event.
The panel discussion on reimagining organizational culture in manufacturing was a favorite for many attendees, and featured speakers from notable local companies including Antunes, Jessup Manufacturing Company, and Joule Technologies.
“We believe culture starts with servant leadership, and then it’s about transparency, respect, authenticity, communication, and accountability,” said Robert Jessup, president of Jessup Manufacturing Company in McHenry. “Then, we evaluate behaviors and intentionally adapt our culture to continuously become better.”
Reflecting on his fellow panelists, Don Wallin, president of Joule Technologies said, “It’s impressive to me that no matter the size of the organization, you can hear the level of care these leaders have about the values and experiences they want to bring to their cultures.”
Attendees received a variety of updates from the College and learned about ways to get more involved. Representatives from the Manufacturing Pathways Consortium—a group of more than 200 local manufacturers, educators, and community partners focused on manufacturing workforce development in and around McHenry County—hosted an interactive lounge for current members and interested individuals wanting to learn more.
On Friday, October 21, participants were invited to reconvene for four virtual breakout sessions that covered the topics of virtual and augmented reality in training, industrial maintenance and automation, team leads and supervisory roles, and welding and fabrication.
“The input we received from employers during the advisory breakout sessions was invaluable,” said Tom McGee, Dean of Career and Technical Education at MCC. “The information gained here will be used to strengthen the learning experience for our students.”
Along with the Manufacturing Pathways Consortium, MCC Workforce Development has been recognizing National Manufacturing Month throughout October with a variety of activities including shop plant tours for high school students and families, the annual internship and job fair, and seminars on manufacturing careers.
To learn more about the Manufacturing Pathways Consortium, visit www.mfgpathways.com. For more on manufacturing programs and apprenticeships at MCC, www.mchenry.edu/manufacturing and www.mchenry.edu/apprentice.
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