What Is MFG Day?
Every year, manufacturers and their partners across the country open their doors to students, educators, parents and community members to show what modern manufacturing really looks like.
Through plant tours, hands-on activities, career conversations, classroom visits and community events, MFG Day gives the next generation an opportunity to see behind the scenes and learn about the people, technology and skills that power today’s manufacturing industry.
MFG Day is celebrated annually on the first Friday in October, with events continuing throughout the month and beyond. What started as an opportunity to introduce students to modern manufacturing has grown into one of the country’s most visible workforce development movements.
The goal is simple: change the way people see manufacturing and help the next generation understand the opportunities available in the industry.
For AJAC, that mission is especially important because manufacturing offers students a chance to develop valuable technical skills while building a meaningful career.
MFG Day 2026 in the Yakima Valley
For MFG Day 2026, AJAC brought that mission directly to students in the Yakima Valley.
Students visited local aerospace manufacturers, got an inside look at real manufacturing environments and heard directly from industry professionals and young people already working in the field.
The experience showed students that manufacturing is not an outdated industry or simply a job working on an assembly line. Modern manufacturing combines technology, problem-solving, precision, teamwork and highly specialized skills.
And perhaps most importantly, students saw that these career opportunities exist right here in their own community.
Inside CubCrafters: Building World-Class Aircraft
At CubCrafters, students got an inside look at how aircraft are built from the ground up.
Robert Detloff, Director of Manufacturing at CubCrafters, described the importance of introducing young people to manufacturing and the skilled trades.
He compared it to cultivating a garden. If the industry wants to have skilled technicians, machinists, welders and other manufacturing professionals in the future, those future workers have to be introduced to the industry and given opportunities to grow.
Students toured the CubCrafters assembly process and learned how different components come together throughout the manufacturing process. They were able to see firsthand how individual steps eventually lead to a completed aircraft.
For students who may have never been inside an aircraft manufacturing facility, getting that close to the process can make a career in aerospace manufacturing feel much more real and achievable.
Exploring Career Opportunities at Pexco Aerospace
Students also visited Pexco Aerospace, where they learned about the many different career paths available within an aerospace manufacturing company.
Andrew Norman, HR Director at Pexco Aerospace, emphasized that manufacturing is not just one job or one type of work.
Employees can begin in manufacturing and eventually move into areas such as quality, shipping and receiving, or other departments throughout the company. There are opportunities to develop new skills, take on new responsibilities and build a long-term career.
Most importantly, students were able to see that success does not always require following the traditional four-year college path.
There are multiple ways to build a successful career, and manufacturing can provide a path to good jobs, professional growth and a future close to home.
A Youth Apprentice’s Perspective
For Abijah Meza, an AJAC Youth Apprentice at Pexco Aerospace from West Valley Innovation Center, the opportunity is personal.
Abijah has always been fascinated by airplanes and was excited to discover an opportunity to work in aerospace manufacturing through AJAC.
Now, he gets to experience that industry firsthand while also sharing his work with his classmates.
Being able to bring classmates into his workplace and show them what he does has given Abijah a sense of pride in his accomplishments. He also sees the potential to inspire other students to consider manufacturing as a career.
That is one of the most powerful aspects of youth apprenticeship. Students do not just hear about careers. They get to experience them.
Manufacturing Careers Are Right Here in the Yakima Valley
For AJAC Student Success Advisor Adan Meza, MFG Day has an especially important message for students in the Yakima Valley.
There are real career opportunities right here in the community.
Students do not necessarily have to leave the area to find meaningful work or build a successful future. Manufacturing companies throughout the Yakima Valley offer opportunities for people who want to learn, work hard and develop valuable skills.
MFG Day helps make those opportunities visible.
Students can see what happens inside local companies, meet the people who work there and begin to understand how their own interests and skills could translate into a career.
Building the Next Generation of Manufacturing Talent
The manufacturing industry needs skilled workers, and introducing young people to those careers is an important part of addressing that need.
But MFG Day is about more than filling future jobs.
It is about helping students understand that they can contribute to something bigger than themselves.
As Robert Detloff explained, the aircraft being built today could eventually end up in museums decades from now. The people who helped build them will be able to look back and know they played a role.
That sense of purpose can be incredibly powerful for young people.
Manufacturing gives students the opportunity to build things they can see, touch and take pride in. It can provide a path to a rewarding career while allowing them to remain connected to their community.
MFG Day 2026 in Yakima showed students that the future of manufacturing is not somewhere far away. It is being built right here.
