The NEW Manufacturing Alliance (NEWMA) (www.newmfgalliance.org) celebrates its’ 20th year anniversary this June. On June 17th, the organization will be celebrating the milestone at Great North Common from 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

NEWMA’s vision is every northeast Wisconsin manufacturer will find the talent it needs. The Alliance has grown from 12 founding members to over 400 representing over half of the manufacturing workforce in the New North. The significant difference between the Alliance and other organizations is that it is manufacturer-led. ‘Manufacturing is an important economic and workforce driver in our region” said Ann Franz, executive director of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance. “Our organization spotlights manufacturing careers as being an exciting field to enter whether you are a K-12 student to an adult looking to enter a new career field.”

Over the past 20 years there have been dramatic results. Local technical colleges have seen increases in enrollment & graduation rates of manufacturing related programs more than 300%. The Alliance membership has supported over $600,000 in college scholarships. Before the organization was founded, there were no 4-year engineering degree programs in the region. Now, with the Alliance’s advocacy there are 100s of engineering degree students at UW Green Bay and UW Oshkosh.

Other NEWMA marque programs and events include: All Star Awards, Internship Draft Day, Excellence in Mfg./K-12 Partnerships Awards, Get Real Math & Science videos, SeaPerch underwater robotics competition, and employability skills & safety videos. The Alliance has conducted several studies including the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Vitality Index, NEWMA Industry 4.0 study and the Aging Workforce study. These initiatives were created by NEWMA taskforces including: Communications, Industry 4.0, K-12/STEM, Safety and Talent.

The organization has also received over a million dollars in training grants for their members to upskill their employees in leadership, mechanical aptitude and technical skills in areas like automation. Plus, NEWMA has trained over 2,000 member employees in Data Analytics, AI, Project Management and Digital Skills Awareness.

For more information contact Ann Franz at 920-606-7691 or franza@uwgb.edu or www.newmfgalliance.org.