Cornerstone Building Brands, a North American manufacturer of exterior building products, has plans to celebrate National Manufacturing Day (MFG Day) at seven U.S. locations. Beginning last Friday and continuing throughout October, the company will open its doors to future manufacturing talent. Participants will have the opportunity to tour the facilities and experience hands-on how products are made at each location. The company’s theme this year is “Building Stronger Communities.”

“Whether you are graduating from high school, trade school or college, beginning a second career or rejoining the workforce, Manufacturing Day – and the entire month – provides great opportunities to learn about the broad range of career possibilities in manufacturing,” said Rose Lee, president and CEO of Cornerstone Building Brands. “Our employees are essential to advancing our work to create high-performing, beautiful and sustainable products for our customers, and we welcome the opportunity to open our doors to our communities and future cohorts.”

MFG Day, an initiative of The Manufacturing Institute and supported by the National Association of Manufacturers, has been celebrated on the first Friday of October since 2012. Events for students, parents, teachers and community leaders continue throughout the month, providing an opportunity to showcase modern manufacturing careers to the next generation of workers.

On average, there are approximately 800,000 open jobs per month in manufacturing – while the average annual income of U.S. manufacturing employees was $92,832 in 2020. This skills gap is partly due to a lack of awareness of career opportunities in manufacturing. According to The Manufacturing Institute, more than 4 million U.S. manufacturing jobs need to be filled between now and 2030.