The theme of the Great Lakes Manufacturing Forum centers on "collaboration", and there will be a wide range of attendees, from company presidents to union reps to economists to Ohio Governor Ted Strickland, who is scheduled to welcome the group, this afternoon.
Spokesperson Maura Campbell says a major goal of the three-day meeting will be to dispel some myths about manufacturing that might be in the heads of future workers.
MAURA CAMPBELL: How do we attract even those young people and folks who live in our region to understand that there are a lot of really good jobs --- jobs with a future --- in the manufacturing realm? It's just that manufacturing, sometimes, has had its own image problems, just in the word itself.
There will also be discussions on the development of a new workforce that is qualified to operate today's computerized equipment. In addition, the group will be examining border regulations that prevent the U.S. and Canada from working regionally.
