OGDENSBURG -- U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today toured DeFelsko Corp. as part of a public relations effort pushing three manufacturing bills.

Gillibrand said the visit also coincides with what she calls “National Manufacturing Day, a celebration of modern manufacturing intended to inspire young Americans to learn STEM skills and pursue careers in advanced manufacturing.”

“As we mark National Manufacturing Day, today is an opportunity to encourage young people across New York to learn about the science and technology that goes into advanced manufacturing,” said Gillibrand, a Democrat. “If we want our economy to thrive we need to boost manufacturing throughout our state and grow our skilled workforce. I’m pushing for new legislation that will support local entrepreneurs and small businesses in expanding their manufacturing operations, as well as help more New Yorkers learn the skills and gain the experience with state of-the-art technology they need for advance manufacturing careers.”

“CITEC is tremendously grateful to have Senator Gillibrand join us in celebrating national Manufacturing Day at DeFelsko Corporation,” said William Murray, executive director of CITEC Business Solutions.

“Senator Gillibrand’s support of manufacturing connects the North Country’s historical connections with industry to its future economic success,” said Chuck Thorpe, senior vice president and provost at Clarkson University.

Gillibrand is pushing for three pieces of legislation that she claims will “boost manufacturing and workforce development.” They include:

• The Manufacturing Universities Act of 2015, a bill that would designate 25 universities as ‘Manufacturing Universities’ and provide schools incentives “to better align their educational offerings with the needs of modern manufacturers,” according to Gillibrand

• The Apprenticeship and Jobs Training Act of 2015, a bill to create a $5,000 tax credit for employers that use apprenticeship programs to train workers in professions such as health care, manufacturing and technology

• The Scale-Up Manufacturing Investment Company Act of 2015, a bill that would increase capital for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking to scale-up and commercialize what Gillibrand calls “their advanced manufacturing and innovation operations.”