The Future of Manufacturing in the Merrimack Valley

The Merrimack Valley Manufacturing Advocates (MVMA) is a collaborative comprised of employers, state and local economic and workforce development organizations, education and training providers, and business groups focused on identifying and addressing workforce issues facing employers and workers to ensure the maintenance and expansion of the manufacturing sector in the region.

The manufacturing industry plays a critical role in the economic success of the Merrimack Valley Region of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Therefore, seeking the advice and guidance of key stakeholders in the industry is essential to help develop and implement a strategy to keep manufacturing as the region’s driving economic force. 

The MVMA will:

• Actively engage manufacturers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire in identifying workforce development challenges and opportunities in the current business environment.
• Review and validate labor market and employment data and output from the Regional Innovation Grant survey and asset map report.
• Articulate skill and training requirements necessary to ensure a prepared workforce for the future and expedite transition and job placement for employees impacted by current and future dislocations.
• Provide input to development of the Regional Innovation Grant Strategic Plan.
• Identify and promote resources and opportunities available to employers for workforce and economic development activities.

Why this is important:

• The Merrimack Valley Region is one of the most concentrated manufacturing regions in the country.
• There are over 90,000 jobs in manufacturing in the region equally divided on each side of the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border resulting in the need for “regional solutions”.
• Manufacturing provides over $6.3 billion in earnings to workers and comprises 18% of the job base, the largest single sector in the region.
• The need to make positive inroads to address the current unemployment rate in the Region is a top priority.

Interested in learning more?  We hope you will engage with us in identifying strategies and solutions to ensure the future of manufacturing in the Merrimack Valley.  For further information on MVMA or the US Department of Labor Regional Innovation Grant, please contact Gail Brown at the Greater Lowell Workforce Investment Board.