Good afternoon 2MTEC supporters and friends:

We are writing to inform you that the 2023 Minnesota Manufactured Technical Education Conference (2MTEC), scheduled for Aug. 8-9, 2023 at Moorhead High School Career Academy, has been CANCELLED. This conference, in its 2nd year, has been designed to develop CTE and STEM educators and connect them directly to manufacturing.

The decision to cancel the conference was not made lightly. This conference was cancelled due to low registration totals – we are 6 weeks out from the conference, and have roughly 20% of the registrations from where we were this time last year. We know that this is disappointing news, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

We know that the 2MTEC conference is an important event for the Minnesota advanced manufacturing community. It provides valuable opportunities for Career and Technical Educators to learn about new technologies, tour manufacturers, network with manufacturers and other educators, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends.

We are committed to continuing to provide these opportunities to the advanced manufacturing community, and are already making plans for the 2024 2MTEC conference. We remain committed to the Center’s 3 strategic priorities:

· Engaging Industry

· Enhancing Education

· Inspiring Students

If you elected to sponsor the conference this year, we will be in touch soon to provide you a full refund of your sponsorship, and/or provide you some options for your consideration.

If you were registered for the conference, or registered as an exhibitor, we will be in touch soon regarding a full refund of your money. Please call me directly at 218-755-4222 or email at jeremy.leffelman@minnstate.edu if you have any questions.

Thank you for your support of this important conference, and we hope to see you next year!

Jeremy

What is the 2MTEC?

The goal of this conference is to upskill technical educators, link manufacturing, manufacturing stakeholders, and education, to share best practices, learn about the latest technologies, and establish lasting relationships and partnerships. Educators will be better equipped to prepare students, who may pursue careers in advanced manufacturing.

This event will provide cutting-edge industry knowledge and educational best practices for teaching in-demand CTE skills across multiple conference tracks, including Mechatronics, Welding, Machining, Quality in Manufacturing, and Employability Skills. There will be multiple breakout sessions and hands-workshops focused on these topics, dynamic and engaging keynote speakers, manufacturing tours, exhibitor opportunities, and multiple networking opportunities.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

Educators
The primary target audience is Secondary and Post-Secondary educators, but anyone interested in learning more about manufacturing careers and technical education is welcome to attend. You won’t find any canned curriculum here. Instead, educators can participate in hands-on activities in the different topic areas. In addition, you can expect several opportunities for networking, collaboration, and skill enhancement.

• Explore best practices in education
• Network with peers
• Encounter new vendors and suppliers
• Tour manufacturers
• Position yourself as an expert
• Have fun

Manufacturers
The manufacturing industry is at a critical crossroads with workforce development efforts and the workforce shortage. Therefore, your input and expertise in the manufacturing industry are essential to shaping future employees’ education. Manufacturers should consider being a presenter at the conference. We need industry input on topics like:

• Which credentials do students need to be industry-ready
• Emerging trends in the industry
• Partnerships to create opportunities for students
• Access to industry information
• Advanced manufacturing technologies in use today