Manufacturing Institute and Saint-Gobain Mark MFG Day 2026
Washington, D.C. — The Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers—and Saint-Gobain celebrated MFG Day 2026 as part of the national grassroots movement to demonstrate the reality and future of modern manufacturing careers to the next generation of talent.
Over 100 high school students and educators from Fayette County Public Schools toured Saint-Gobain’s state-of-the-art production facility in Peachtree, Georgia, where the sustainable construction materials manufacturer makes its CertainTeed line of roofing shingles for use in residential construction.
MI President Carolyn Lee and Saint-Gobain North America and CertainTeed CEO Mark Rayfield spoke to the students about the diverse career opportunities available in today’s modern facilities and encouraged them to explore high-demand careers in America’s manufacturing workforce.
“We’re proud to partner with Saint-Gobain this year to celebrate MFG Day and give students a firsthand look at our industry,” said Lee. “There’s no better way to understand manufacturing than to get up-close and see all the parts—and all the people—that come together to make the things that make modern life possible. By inviting students to see this for themselves, they can imagine themselves behind the line, operating our high-tech equipment, in our research labs or guiding our operations.”
Rayfield added, “Saint-Gobain is committed to ensuring the next generation of the manufacturing workforce is educated about the opportunities in this exciting field. We’re thrilled to sponsor MFG Day 2026 and open our doors to help even more students discover what modern manufacturing really looks like and start them on the path toward a bright future in manufacturing.”
Today, manufacturers are struggling to fill over half a million open jobs. Research from the MI and Deloitte projects that manufacturers could see nearly 2 million jobs go unfilled by 2033 if the skills gap goes unaddressed, a need that is only growing as the industry embeds artificial intelligence into its operations.
Just this week, the MI launched its AI Skills for Manufacturing Training Suite as part of the MI AI Skills Initiative to train 40,000 current and future manufacturing workers in the fundamental AI skills they will need to meet the needs of advanced manufacturing.
Since 2012, the MI has empowered manufacturers to partner with educators and their local communities to welcome the next generation of talent on MFG Day. Celebrated annually on the first Friday in October, with events continuing throughout the month and beyond, this national grassroots movement invites companies and educational institutions to open their doors to students, parents, educators and community leaders. Each year, thousands of events are held nationwide, each designed to expand career awareness and reshape perceptions of manufacturing and to inspire students to explore creative, high-tech careers in the industry.
-The MI-
The Manufacturing Institute works to build and strengthen the manufacturing workforce for the future. Through implementing groundbreaking programs, convening industry leaders and conducting innovative research, the MI furthers individual opportunity, community prosperity and a more competitive manufacturing industry. As the 501(c)3 nonprofit workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers, the MI is a trusted adviser to manufacturers, equipping them with solutions to address the toughest workforce issues. For more information on the MI, please visit www.themanufacturinginstitute.org.
–Saint-Gobain-
Worldwide leader in light and sustainable construction, Saint-Gobain designs, manufactures and distributes materials and services adapted to the residential, non-residential and infrastructure markets. Its integrated and innovative solutions provide sustainability, performance and well-being for its customers. The Group is guided by its purpose, “MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER HOME.”
€46.5 billion in sales in 2025
162,000 employees, locations in 81 countries
Committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050
