Windsor-Essex manufacturers welcomed more than 1,100 students and jobseekers for the region’s 11th annual Manufacturing Day (MFG Day), offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the area’s most vital economic sector. Organized by Workforce WindsorEssex, Invest WindsorEssex, the Canadian Association of Mold Makers, and Automate Canada, the event is part of a continent-wide initiative to spotlight the opportunities and technology in modern manufacturing.
Kelsey Santarossa, director of Community and Workforce Development at Workforce WindsorEssex, emphasized the event’s goal to spark interest and break down barriers: “International Manufacturing Day is a chance for us to expose local high school students across the region to the local manufacturing sector. We are looking to generate interest and opportunities
and break down some of the stigmas and barriers that can be associated with the trades.”
Supported by Employment Ontario and both federal and provincial governments, the day featured tours of 21 local manufacturing facilities. The tours are a strategic response to local labour shortages, aiming to connect employers with their future workforce, highlight unique career paths, and sustain the sector’s prosperity. According to Statistics Canada’s August 2025 Labour Force Survey, manufacturing employs 49,600 people in Windsor-Essex—over 21% of the local workforce.
More than 400 manufacturers in the region have been actively hiring over the past year, seeking to fill nearly 4,000 positions. MFG Day participants experienced shop-floor life firsthand, interacted with industry professionals, and took part in hands-on activities, giving them a practical view of potential careers. Major sponsors included Cavalier Tool & Manufacturing Ltd., NetxGen Mold Technologies, UE Enclosures, EnerQuest Technology Solutions Inc., and Atlas Tube Inc.
Windsor-Essex has been a leader in MFG Day participation, being the first Canadian community to host the event in 2013. Since then, the event has grown from six companies and 150 students to more than 1,100 participants and 21 manufacturers this year.
Students and educators alike see value in the event. “This has been great,” said Matthew Nadon, a Grade 10 student at St. Anne Catholic High School, who is now considering engineering as a career. “It was amazing to see how parts are made from these robots and the time it takes to program the computers.”
Michael Costello, a welding instructor at St. Anne, noted that many of his students have pursued trade careers, crediting events like MFG Day for their inspiration. “The companies opening their front door to us realize the importance of exposing the students to these skills and giving them the opportunity.”
Jason DiFazio, director of engineering at REKO International Group, echoed the importance of industry engagement: “Today is manufacturing day, where we bring a bunch of students and show them what it’s like working in a custom automation machine builder’s environment. They were able to see machines in action, the engineering, research and development—what it actually takes to put together a machine.”
DiFazio added, “It’s great to assist this generation in becoming interested in automation and the trades, as these students are our future workforce.”
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