Fabtech Canada highlights importance of youth in manufacturing with student tours

As Canada continues to grapple with the challenges of an aging workforce, there’s no better time to consider today’s youth as potential skilled workers for tomorrow. That’s the message from organizers of Fabtech Canada 2012, Canada ‘s first exclusive fabricating, metal forming and welding event, making its debut at the Toronto Congress Centre, March 20-22.

“If we are going to maintain our strong manufacturing base, we need to find innovative ways to support and encourage students to pursue a career in manufacturing,” said Rodney Grover, senior development officer, for the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, which is co-organizing the three-day event along with the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association and the American Welding Society.

Pointing to statistics from The Conference Board of Canada that indicate 48 percent of the Canadian workforce will be eligible for retirement within the next five to 10 years and that the province of Ontario alone will need to attract an additional 350,000 workers by 2025 to achieve strong economic growth, Grover emphasized the importance of attracting youth to the manufacturing sector. Fabtech Canada is doing its part to stimulate interest, he added, by hosting a special Student Tours session, March 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., an opportunity for hundreds of students and their instructors to get a firsthand look at show exhibits.

Canada’s premier industry event in metal forming, welding and fabricating, Fabtech Canada 2012 features a comprehensive showcase of the latest industry technologies, tools and trends geared towards the needs of this country’s estimated 1.5 million manufacturing employees.

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