Grow Clinton's Borgeson Attends Manufacturing Institute Workforce Summit

The 4th Annual Manufacturing Institute Workforce Summit was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, from October 20–22. This year’s theme, Manufacturing America’s Talent, centered on shifting workforce expectations, economic uncertainty, and the rapid technological advances shaping the future of manufacturing.

Grow Clinton’s Director of Workforce Development & Talent Attraction, Stacy Borgeson, joined more than 300 attendees, including education and human-resource professionals, community partners, and business leaders from across the country. The summit served as a platform to share innovative solutions, highlight effective training strategies, and explore collaborative models designed to strengthen the national manufacturing workforce.

A major focus of the conference was career and technical education (CTE), an area in which the Greater Clinton Region is already demonstrating measurable progress. The new Process Technology (P-Tech) program at Clinton Community College is equipping students with the technical and analytical skills needed to pursue rewarding, high-demand careers with strong earning potential.

Another key discussion topic involved the need for organizations to modernize outdated hiring and retention practices to meet the evolving expectations of today’s workforce. One trend gaining national traction is a skills-first hiring strategy, which prioritizes demonstrated abilities over traditional degree or tenure requirements. This approach expands candidate pools, reduces time-to-fill and time-to-proficiency, strengthens mentoring capacity, and improves overall productivity while lowering long-term costs.

While upskilling represents a significant investment for employers, summit speakers emphasized its importance as a cornerstone of sustainable workforce development and employee retention.

“We are all in this together! Whether a small company or a global corporation, we’re facing the same challenges,” said Stacy Borgeson, “The Workforce Summit was a wonderful opportunity to discuss, dissect, and solve workforce challenges collaboratively.” 

 
Stacy Borgeson (left) meets with Manufacturing Pros Representing the Greater Clinton Region