Stuff-New Hampshire

N e w H a m p s h i r e , 2 0 1 8 • S T U F F 3 Welcome to Cool Stuff Made in New Hampshire! O n behalf of NH Manufacturing Exten- sion Partnership and our partners, NH Division of Economic Development, NH Department of Education, and the Community College System of New Hampshire and the publisher, New England Business Media, I want to welcome all of you to the second edition of Cool Stuff Made in New Hampshire Magazine. I am excit- ed to let you know this year's issue has more! More stories about NH manufacturers and more oppor- tunities for students to learn about how a career in manufacturing can enrich their lives. In recent years, the need to recruit, retain, and upskill workers in manufacturing has become imperative. In an effort to begin to address the issue, the 'Pathways to Success Conference' was first held at Nashua Community College on May 24, 2012. The conference was the first step of collaboration between NH MEP and our partners to "connect manufacturing to education". On October 4th, 2013, Governor Maggie Hassan proclaimed NH Manufacturing Week, and last October, we celebrated NH Manufacturing Month. A total of 1,863 students from high schools and middle schools visited a local manufacturer, with hundreds more visiting Career and Technology Centers and local community colleges. The majority of these students said they would likely consider a career in manufacturing. The student feedback was inspiring: "This field trip has caused me to really consider a career in manufacturing", "Pretty cool, something I wouldn't mind doing for a career", "I personally loved it and thought it was an eye opener", "Thought it was a great opportunity and highly interesting", "I hope we do more things like this to experience other fields and career paths". With our partners we introduced "Cool Stuff made in New Hampshire" magazine in 2017. The publica- tion was distributed to thousands of individuals and organizations – from high schools and middle school students to career counselors, manufacturers, educa- tional institutions, state representatives and workforce development organizations, to name few. We have all wondered how we can reach the parents of high school and middle schools students. Last year was the first time we received emails from parents asking for another copy of Cool Stuff to share with other parents. We believe parents are beginning to realize that careers in manufacturing are far more attractive than they have been portrayed. Manufacturers have stepped up to do something about their workforce challenges. I recently visited with eight manufacturers that have between 26 and 150 employees from different regions of the state. They all have provided training for their new employed internally, as their workforce development challenges are now compelling them to be proactive. My message to the students is that the manufac- turers participating in this magazine all have a need to recruit, train, and give you the support you need to grow within the company. So, take advantage of this great opportunity, go and visit with these com- panies during NH Manufacturing Month, or sched- ule a different time during the year to visit with your parents or counselor - you can have fun learning about Cool Stuff Made in New Hampshire. We thank you – the participating organizations and institutions in this publication for your support and sponsorship of this publication and your contribution to NH workforce development efforts. We hope you will all find the magazine of value. Thank you. Zenagui Brahim President, NH Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NH MEP)

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