Workforce News

The Manufacturing Institute—the workforce development and education affiliate of the NAM—announced that Novonesis, a global leader in biosolutions, will serve as the platinum sponsor for MFG Day 2025, an initiative of the MI.

What it means: Novonesis will host the MI’s MFG Day event on Oct. 2 at their North American headquarters in Franklinton, North Carolina.

• In addition, Novonesis sites across the country will host other events in honor of MFG Day, a monthlong celebration of manufacturing excellence during which students, parents and educators can explore the industry’s many exciting career paths.
• Hundreds of other companies throughout the U.S. will join Novonesis and the MI in this celebration, hosting events that highlight a vast array of industry sectors, job types, educational opportunities and much more.

What they’ll see: Novonesis will welcome 200 local high school students, key educational institutions and biotech partners on Oct. 2, as well as state and national leadership for an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at Novonesis’s laboratories and production facility.

• These visitors will get to see scientists developing biosolutions for use in food, fuel, household products, supplements, animal health and nutrition, agriculture and more.

What we’re saying: “As an innovative biomanufacturer, Novonesis is a perfect company to headline MFG Day. Its state-of-the-art labs and facilities showcase everything modern manufacturing has to offer as a career path,” said MI President and Executive Director Carolyn Lee.

• “In a study  co-written by MI and Deloitte last year, we found that the manufacturing sector will have more than 3.8 million job openings by 2033. This shortage is an existential threat to our industry. MFG Day is an opportunity for our industry to start building the workforce of tomorrow by educating students about rewarding career opportunities that they might not otherwise consider.”
• “We thank Novonesis for showing students everything our sector has to offer by opening its doors and inspiring students—not just in North Carolina, but nationwide.”

A long history: Manufacturers have been opening their doors on MFG Day since 2012, in one of the industry’s foremost efforts to attract and shape the next generation of talent.

• By stepping inside manufacturing facilities, students experience—up close and in action—what modern manufacturing really looks like.
• Last year, MFG Day boasted more than 700 registered events nationwide, inspiring thousands of students to imagine themselves in a wide range of creative, high-tech careers.

The last word: “The future of manufacturing—and biomanufacturing in particular—depends on our ability to inspire and prepare the next generation for the high-tech, high-impact careers ahead,” said Tue Micheelsen, Novonesis North America president and head of global consumer health.

• “For decades, Novonesis has helped strengthen America’s manufacturing workforce by supporting STEM education, advancing training programs like BioWork, and creating hands-on learning opportunities that connect talent with real-world applications.”
• “Through Manufacturing Day, we’re opening our doors to students and communities across the country to spark curiosity, challenge outdated perceptions, and show that the innovations shaping the world can start in their own backyards. These efforts aren’t just about building a pipeline of skilled workers. They’re about helping the U.S. lead the future of biomanufacturing.”