A Manufacturing Day seminar  at College of the Canyons Friday gave junior and senior high school students an opportunity to see the various career paths available to them in the manufacturing sector.

More than 2,300 events like the one at College of the Canyons were held across the United States – and in Canada and Mexico, as well, said Joe Klocko, COC’s dean of economic development.

Manufacturing Day is an opportunity for manufacturers to present students throughout the country with the various career options available in the manufacturing industry.

“Career paths in manufacturing are very attractive, there is a great income to made there and there are great career paths,” Klocko said. “It’s not just a linear path, it could be a curved path and you can make it what you want it to be if you’re prepared right.”

Through Manufacturing Day, manufacturers are able to reach out to future generations, address the skilled labor shortage the industry faces and correct some of the common misconceptions of the manufacturing industry.

“The perception of manufacturing is what it was 40 years ago. People think of old, dirty factories,” said Klocko. “It’s not your grandfather’s factory anymore and while people think that manufacturing in the U.S. is in the decline, I can tell you that manufacturing in the U.S. has continually grown every year and continues to grow.”

Jeremy Bout is the host, producer and president of Edge Factor, a production company that story-driven, cinematic films that educators and business leaders use to inspire students and parents.

On Thursday, a public panel was held at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center where representatives from various local businesses were present to discuss career opportunities in advanced technologies.

In attendance, was Advanced Bionics, Aerospace Dynamics International, B&B Manufacturing and CSUN STEM Innovations, among others.

“This is our attempt as an industry to have a movement,” said Bout. “It’s a call to manufacturers to open their doors and show off what they do, to one, get their communities aware of them, two, get young people aware of opportunities for their careers and three, to celebrate the fact that we make things here. That to me is really the heart of what Manufacturing Day is.”