SUNYIT will host a conference and expo for Mohawk Valley manufacturers, businesses, educators and students interested in manufacturing careers focusing on "The Resurgence of Manufacturing in New York State" presented by the Center for Global Advanced Manufacturing (CGAM) on Friday, October 4, 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

To mark National Manufacturing Day 2013, CGAM will hold parallel conferences—one at SUNYIT, for Mohawk Valley participants; the other at Mount St. Mary College in Newburgh, for Mid-Hudson Valley attendees. The conference keynote speaker will be Michael F. Molnar, who in 2011 was named the first Chief Manufacturing Officer of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the federal technology agency that works with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards. He now leads the NIST Advanced Manufacturing Office for extramural manufacturing programs and also serves as the director of the interagency Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office. His remarks and a Q & A session will be streamed to the SUNYIT campus. Molnar will discuss the regrowth of manufacturing in the U.S.

The half-day conference will also include a panel of local advanced manufacturers who will talk about New York State’s manufacturing opportunities. Panelists will give a virtual tour of their facilities/advanced technologies and answer questions about the changing face of manufacturing, workforce opportunities and requirements. An interactive expo will offer attendees a chance to see what Mohawk Valley manufacturers produce. Registration information for this free event is available at sunyit.edu/cgam.mfg_conf_2013.

Launched last year, CGAM comprises a broad array of academic institutions and industry partners dedicated to the support of innovative, advanced manufacturing in the Mohawk and Mid-Hudson Valleys. CGAM directly supports manufacturers by coordinating education and training of the workforce and by providing incubation, acceleration and technology transfer facilities in both regions, as well as training in areas of high demand for both employers and students.

A 501c3, not-for-profit organization, CGAM includes SUNYIT, The Solar Energy Consortium (TSEC), Council for Industry (CI), Manufacturers Association of Central New York (MACNY), Hudson Valley Technology Development Center (HVTDC), Mohawk Valley Applied Technology Corporation (MVATC), and Mount Saint Mary College, as well as eight SUNY partner institutions: Morrisville State College; and Ulster, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Westchester, Mohawk Valley, and Herkimer community colleges.