On December 4th, the Portage Economic Development Corporation convened its annual gathering at Woodland Park, spotlighting regional economic progress and a key workforce challenge: creating meaningful career paths for young residents. A central theme of the event was expanding local manufacturing opportunities to retain youth talent that might otherwise leave the community for work. n nJim Fitzer, Executive Director of the organization, emphasized the importance of connecting students with viable industrial careers available within their hometown. “We aim to demonstrate that manufacturing offers real career potential right here in Portage,” Fitzer stated, noting that such efforts align with existing educational initiatives like school externship programs. n nHigh school students from Portage recently participated in a Manufacturing Day, gaining direct exposure to local production facilities and career pathways. This hands-on experience is part of a broader strategy to strengthen ties between education and industry. Diane Thalman, an Economic Director at NIPSCO, affirmed the organization’s commitment moving into 2014. “Our objective is to sustain our current momentum and support the expansion of Manufacturing Day,” she said. n nCraig Lamb, who leads Ivy Tech’s campus in Lafayette, delivered a detailed presentation titled ‘Advancing Manufacturing,’ sharing data relevant to the region’s economic landscape. He noted that manufacturing accounts for 11.6% of employment locally, while contributing approximately 22% of total wages. These figures underscore the sector’s outsized economic impact relative to its workforce size. n nLamb stressed the need to cultivate a highly skilled labor pool to support industrial growth. “Building a world-class workforce is essential for advancing manufacturing in this area,” he remarked, framing workforce development as a long-term investment in regional prosperity. n
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Manufacturing Jobs Subject of Discussion at Annual Economic Meeting
On Wednesday, December 4th, the Portage Economic Development Corporation held their annual meeting at Woodland Park. Aside from discussing the many advancements the city of Portage has made over the past year, the meeting centered on a very important topic. n nThe topic discussed focused on providing new and interesting employment opportunities for youths who would otherwise seek employment outside of Portage. Jim Fitzer, the Executive Director of the Portage Economic Development Corporation, introduced the topic of manufacturing career opportunities. n n“We want to show students that there is a career opportunity in manufacturing right here in Portage,” Jim Fitzer said. “This reinforces what the school system is doing with the externship program.” n nStudents of Portage High School recently had the chance to attend a Manufacturing Day. This occasion let the students learn about the manufacturing opportunities in Portage first hand. n n“Our goal for 2014 will be to continue to do what we’re doing,” said Diane Thalman, an Economic Director at NIPSCO. “We want to help the Manufacturing Day grow.” n nCraig Lamb, the Executive Director of Ivy Tech in Lafayette, gave a thorough presentation on Advancing Manufacturing. He shared an array of interesting facts that apply to our region. n nFor instance, manufacturing makes up 11.6% of the jobs in our region. Also, those people in the above percentage account for about 22% of earnings in the region. This furthered the point that these manufacturing jobs are great opportunities. n n“We want to build a world class workforce to help manufacturing grow in your region,” said Craig Lamb. “This is a way to invest in the future.”