NEPIRC Announces Manufacturing Day Event Keynote Speaker The Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) announces its upcoming Manufacturing Day Best Practices Summit & Expo, scheduled for Friday, October 4 at Mohegan Pennsylvania Casino & Convention Center, Wilkes-Barre. This annual event celebrates the vibrant manufacturing industry in our region and provides valuable insights and networking opportunities for businesses and professionals. This year, NEPIRC welcomes Chris Czarnik as the event’s keynote speaker. Czarnik is a renowned author, coach, trainer and subject matter expert on talent recruiting, engagement and retention in today’s dynamic manufacturing environment. With diverse career experience, including roles as a former military officer, human resource manager, career services manager and job search advisor, Czarnik brings unparalleled expertise to the table. Over the past two decades, Czarnik has dedicated his career to understanding why individuals join and depart organizations. His insights have empowered thousands of job seekers to identify organizations and roles that align with their aspirations and values. His acclaimed book, “Winning the War for Talent,” has become a cornerstone resource for over 3,500 organizations nationwide. “We are thrilled to have Chris Czarnik as our keynote speaker for this year’s Manufacturing Day event,” said Eric Esoda, NEPIRC’s president & CEO. “His wealth of experience and profound insights into talent recruitment and retention will undoubtedly provide immense value to attendees, helping them navigate the evolving landscape of workforce management.” Manufacturing Day serves as an essential platform for businesses to connect, learn and collaborate. In addition to Czarnik’s keynote address, the event will feature interactive sessions, panel discussions and networking opportunities to foster growth and innovation within the manufacturing sector. NEPIRC is actively seeking business sponsors to support this significant event. By becoming a sponsor, organizations will gain exposure to a diverse audience of industry professionals and decision-makers while demonstrating their commitment to driving manufacturing excellence in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Manufacturing Day sponsorships are open to all businesses and organizations – not just manufacturers. Sponsors include businesses that assist and support manufacturers or would like to acquire manufacturing sector clients, colleges with advanced manufacturing or robotics programs, economic development organizations, etc. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities or to register for Manufacturing Day, visit www.NEPIRC.com or contact Chelsey Coslett, manager of marketing & stakeholder engagement, at Chelsey@NEPIRC.com.
NEPIRC’s Manufacturing Education Guide Promotes Advanced Manufacturing Curriculums The Northeastern Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center (NEPIRC) recently launched The Northeastern Pennsylvania Manufacturing Education Guide, a publication that promotes the abundance of certificate and degree programs available locally to students interested in pursuing a career in manufacturing. The guide complements the work being done by NEPIRC’s Manufacturing Ambassador Dream Team program. The Manufacturing Education Guide will be distributed to high school students through NEPIRC’s Manufacturing Ambassador Dream Team presentations in classrooms and at career fairs, as well as digitally through NEPIRC’s social media channels and website. “We developed this guide to reinforce our message to high school students that so many of the everyday products they and their families use and have in their homes are manufactured right here in northeastern Pennsylvania. The guide is expected to reach thousands of students and their parents this school year, connecting students with great manufacturing career opportunities while promoting high-quality, affordable education from these institutions,” said Eric Joseph Esoda, NEPIRC’s president and CEO. One of the colleges that participated in the guidebook is Lackawanna College, whose Continuing Education Department has been engaged with manufacturers from throughout the region for many years. “We are always looking for ways to promote advanced manufacturing programs to teachers and students. NEPIRC partners with more than one thousand manufacturers in the region. By partnering with NEPIRC on the guide and other initiatives, we are in essence partnering with those thousand-plus manufacturers,” said Bill Schoen, director of continuing education at Lackawanna College. Currently, the guide includes information for manufacturing career programs offered by Johnson College, Keystone College, Lackawanna College, Luzerne County Community College, and The Pennsylvania College of Technology and invites additional institutions to participate by promoting their advanced manufacturing programs. The guide also contains a list of 70 area manufacturers that offer tuition reimbursement to their employees and a direct link to NEPIRC’s Job Board featuring approximately 100 local manufacturers who are immediately hiring for various positions. Susan Spry, associate vice president of academic affairs at Luzerne County Community College, immediately saw the value in participating in the guide. “We’ve been a longtime partner with NEPIRC on multiple initiatives. We think The Manufacturing Education Guide and the Dream Team program are so impactful. The ambassadors speak with students, parents and teachers about the very high-tech activities they do in their work, inspiring students to consider careers in manufacturing, starting with programs of study like the ones we offer that prepare students for the manufacturing jobs of today and tomorrow,” said Spry. More details regarding NEPIRC’s Manufacturing Education Guide, and the Manufacturing Ambassador Dream Team program can be found on the NEPIRC Dream Team website, www.NEPIRCDreamTeam.com, or by emailing Dream Team Project Coordinator Jenelle Osborne, Jenelle@NEPIRC.com.
