Duluth Expo Connects 500 Students to Manufacturing
The Made Here: Manufacturing Expo and Career Fair drew students from northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin to the DECC.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Job Fairs
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The Midwest Manufacturers Association, the City of Duluth, and more than 22 sponsors held the first Made Here: Manufacturing Expo and Career Fair at the DECC on November 9, 2026. Over 500 high school students from northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin attended.
Why it matters
The expo gives students a hands-on look at manufacturing careers and education paths in a region where the industry is a major employer. It also showcases products made throughout the area, linking local students to the businesses around them.
Over 500 students from northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin attended the first Made Here expo, supported by more than 22 sponsors. The extraction does not report post-event outcomes, such as how many attendees pursued manufacturing careers or training.
The players
Midwest Manufacturers Association
The Midwest Manufacturers Association is a regional trade group that advocates for and supports manufacturers across the Midwest.
City of Duluth
The City of Duluth is the municipal government of Minnesota's port city on Lake Superior, which co-hosted the expo.
The details
High school students got a hands-on look inside the manufacturing industry, with exhibits highlighting careers, education options, and products made throughout the region. The Midwest Manufacturers Association, the City of Duluth, and over 22 sponsors partnered to make the event possible.
Timeline
- November 9, 2026: The Made Here: Manufacturing Expo and Career Fair was held at the DECC.
Roadmap
The expo extends the regional tradition of pairing northern Minnesota industry with workforce pipelines that began with Iron Range manufacturing and mining employers. By bringing students from two states to one venue, it applies that model to a broader multi-state labor pool.
Students in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin gained direct exposure to manufacturing careers and training options. Families and educators in the region can use the event's focus on education paths as a starting point for planning post-high-school decisions.
The takeaway
Manufacturing employers are actively recruiting young workers in the region, and high school students can explore those pathways early. Students interested in the trade can ask schools and local employers about similar hands-on programs.
Further reading
For more local hiring events, browse the Job Fairs section covering Duluth.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Fox21Online.
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