Online voting begins March 1 for the 2023 What’s So Cool About Manufacturing student video competition.

Online voting begins March 1 for the Manufacturers Resource Center’s 10^th annual What’s So Cool About Manufacturing student video contest.

Student teams from 33 regional middle schools from Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, and Monroe counties compete in the program, which also serves as an important educational tool that increases students’ awareness of career paths in manufacturing and the interesting technologies used and products made by Lehigh Valley manufacturers.

You can view the student videos at www.whatssocool.org then vote for as many videos as you’d like and as often as you’d like. Voting for the Viewers Choice Award is open through March 3 at 11:59 p.m.

In addition to the award that will be determined by the results of the online voting, student videos will be reviewed by a panel of judges for awards in 10 other categories.

The awards will be presented during an event March 14 at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem starting at 6:45 p.m. The awards ceremony also will be broadcast in the Lehigh Valley by WFMZ starting at 7 p.m.

Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC) is a Silver Sponsor of the What’s So Cool About Manufacturing. The program aligns with LVEDC’s Talent Strategies initiative in helping students explore career pathways and gain a clearer understanding of the types of jobs available in manufacturing in the Lehigh Valley and the skills needed to obtain those jobs.

Lehigh Valley manufacturers that were paired with school teams and are featured in 2023 contest videos include Lutron Electronics, Follett, OraSure Technologies, Victaulic, B. Braun Medical, Lehigh Valley Plastics, Mack Trucks, Tyber Medical, and Ocean Spray. Click here for the full list of videos.

What’s So Cool About Manufacturing was created by the MRC in the Lehigh Valley and has now grown to 16 regional competitions and adopted by manufacturing organizations in 11 additional states.

“What we love seeing the most is the hard work and collaboration between students, teachers, and manufacturers, as well as the impact of sharing their message about manufacturing opportunities right here in our region,” said Rich Hobbs, MRC President and CEO.

MRC is a non-profit organization that helps small and mid-sized manufacturers become more competitive, grow their companies, and invest in their workforce. MRC is a partner with LVEDC in supporting regional economic development.