Kickstart: Moving the needle on manufacturing

The National Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturing Institute have unveiled a $14 million "Creators Wanted" project that aims to attract a new generation of industrial workers. Funding from a range of sponsors, including the Dow Chemical Co. Foundation, will support programs reaching out to kids and parents to support their interest in manufacturing.

The Creators Wanted Fund will also develop an "interactive mobile tour" that will visit more than 20 states in the move to recruit new talent.

By 2025, the project wants to expand the number of students in technical schools by 25 percent and move the dial on the positive perception of the industry among parents to 50 percent from its current rate of 27 percent.

Organizers of the mobile electronics trade show MWC have canceled the 2020 event, which had been scheduled for Feb. 24-27 in Barcelona.

The show, previously called the Mobile World Congress, drew visitors from around the world at an event focused on mobile technology. But on Feb. 12, organizers said they would have to call off the event, "because [of] the global concern regarding the coronavirus outbreak, travel concern and other circumstances, make it impossible ... to hold the event."

"Our sympathies at this time are with those affected in China, and all around the world," they said.

No. Just no.

Plastics News (and Kickstart) will be off on Monday. Why does Crain Communications Inc. have Presidents' Day as a holiday? No idea, but I'm not going to fight it.

We'll see you back online Feb. 18.

And speaking of Feb. 18, that will be the first day of our new subscriber-exclusive Polymer Points Live webcast. Frank Esposito will be live at 2 p.m. Eastern time, taking on the issues of supply, pricing and trends on the materials side of the business. Register here.