Manufacturing & Trades Day
Each year, NWILED, in partnership with Jo Daviess Carroll Career Technical Education Academy (CTEA), hosts a manufacturing day educational career event. It is an occasion during which manufacturers, trades, and logistics companies open their doors to showcase the potential of modern manufacturing and to foster interest in related careers. All high schools in Carroll and Jo Daviess Counties are invited to participate.Since the program began in 2022 an estimated 1,500 students have benefited from the experience!
Annually, over 300 students attend this event and are exposed to a varied group of industries ranging from traditional manufacturing to transportation, healthcare, and energy. This regional event was last held on October 8, 2025. Helping facilitate the experience were over 30 area businesses and agencies, some with multiple overlapping roles, which included JCE Co-op, Adkins Energy, Riverport Railroad, Zurn Elkay Water Solutions, MacLean-Fogg Component Solutions: Metform, East Dubuque Nitrogen Fertilizers, Signcraft Screenprint, Neumiller Farms, Citizens State Bank, Galena Area Chamber of Commerce, Carroll County Highway Department, Village of Stockton Public Works, ITC Midwest, Origin Design, Business Employment Skills Team, Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa, Galena Roasters, University of Illinois Extension 4-H, Morrison Institute of Technology, WPPO, DC Rise Real Estate, Jo Daviess County Highway Department, Highland Community College, Nicor Gas, Invasive Media & Sound Safe.ai, Visit Northwest Illinois, Forster Products, Ergotips, Midwest Medical Center, 4-C: Community Coordinated Child Care, and Hudson's Tack & More.
2025 Press Release
NWILED's next Manufacturing & Trades Day event is scheduled for Thursday, October 8, 2026. To involve your business in the event, email NWILED Regional Director, David Schmit, at dschmit@nwiled.org.
NWILED is again working with the CTE Academy to host our region's Manufacturing and Trades Day. We invite businesses to get involved during this day long workforce development experience. Students from Jo Carroll high schools receive a site visit at a major employer and exposure to over 20 trade-focused businesses throughout their day.
Business registration is now open!
- If you are a large plant or operation, offer a site visit to a high school class. Visits should be about 50 minutes in length and can be scheduled during the AM/PM block or both.
- Others can lead a hand-on session at the CTEA. Have a dedicated station (classroom, shop, parking lot). Stops last about 10-15 minutes per rotating student group and you can be scheduled during the AM/PM block or both.
- Utilities and others can sign up for our "Utility Popups," which introduces students to line crews and their rigs in connection with site visits.