Donna Participates in Manufacturing Day at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
This past week, I had the opportunity to visit Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Space Systems Center of Excellence, Redondo Beach and El Segundo as part of Manufacturing Day.
Manufacturing Day (MFG) is an annual celebration of modern manufacturing during which manufacturers invite their communities — including students, educators, businesspeople, media, and politicians — to their facilities in a collective effort to educate visitors about manufacturing career opportunities and improve public perceptions of manufacturing.
Started in 2012, MFG DAY has seen participation grow dramatically over the years. Here are the official numbers when it comes to the number of events, the number of attendees, and how MFG DAY is affecting the public perception of manufacturing.
John Murnane, Vice President, Space Park CoE Leader and El Segundo Site Manager, Aerospace Systems, welcomed guests and indicated that Northrop Grumman would be hosting 75 events at 25 locations as part of their commitment to MFG Day. He also stated that Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, strike, and logistics and modernizations to customers worldwide.
The three hour tour, Aerospace in Motion, included a glimpse of the James Webb Telescope, the machine shop, F/A-18 assembly line and the composites facility. Throughout the tour a common thread between all presenters was Northrop Grumman’s concern of a growing gap in workforce skills to match the dynamic technological growth that underpins our economy. Raising those skills and closing the skills gap are tremendous issues for the business community. Additionally, being able to find workers with the skills we need today and in the future is key to the prosperity of Northrop Grumman and of our nation.
Special thanks to Joe Ahn and Matthew Garth of Northrup Grumman for inviting me to attend. It was an incredibly valuable and interesting experience.