It’s not even winter yet, but I have snowballs on my mind. You know how you pack and roll and pack and roll to make the biggest snowball possible, and it just grows and grows? My hope is that, through articles and through outreach in my community and beyond, efforts to attract younger skilled workers (and young women, in particular) will have a “snowball effect.”
By encouraging young people to pursue jobs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, we can help close the skills gap. The fact is, many jobs are considered part of the STEM family. An article in the Washington Post gives a comprehensive list, as well as a telling graphic of the disparity between men and women in this sector.
The encouraging news is that, according to some reports, more students actually want to work in STEM fields. However, according to CNN.com, Census figures show that 74 percent of college graduates with STEM degrees are going into non-STEM jobs. Just as younger people may have stereotype images about manufacturing jobs, manufacturers must be willing to lose their stereotyping of young people. We must be open to bringing them into our workforce. It’s a matter of survival.
Now is the time for our industry to take action. We can’t afford to wait. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that by next year Millennials — those of ages 18 to 32 — will make up the majority of the workforce. By 2025, that figure will rise to about 75 percent.
ThomasNet’s annual Industry Market Barometer survey of North American manufacturers acknowledges this trend, citing both the opportunities and challenges it presents. Of the participating companies in the survey, 63 percent expected to finish this year with business growth. While this is good news, the report bemoans the lack of new talent. In this year’s survey, 38 percent of manufacturers said they will leave their jobs in one to 10 years, and most lack a succession plan.
Millennials could be the answer, but 62 percent of manufacturers say this group represents a small fraction of their workforce. The report concludes that closing the gaps between Baby Boomers and Millennials is critical to the future of the industry.
In my previous article, I mentioned grassroots efforts to increase Millennials’ interest in manufacturing, including Dream It. Do It and Project Lead The Way. These are two of many great initiatives out there; I’d like to mention a few more right in my own backyard:
The Greater Reading (Pa.) Economic Partnership (GREP) has launched the Careers in 2 Years program, designed to encourage middle school students, high school students, and parents to consider manufacturing as a career path. Since the program’s implementation over a year ago, the local technical colleges have seen an increase in applications.
The 2014-2015 school year marks the first year that a STEM-based educational offering, framed by the Project Lead The Way curriculum, will be made available to students in the Exeter Township (Pa.) school district.
The school has partnered with local industry and the community to incorporate mentoring, real-world experiences such as site tours, design competitions, and more.
Penn State Great Valley offers a new bachelor of science degree in Multidisciplinary Engineering Design, which combines electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering with design. The Great Valley campus also boasts the Engineering Design Suite, a newly created 8,700-square-foot space developed in the Great Valley Conference Center Building (CCB). The $2.4 million structure houses a circuits lab, along with a shop with supervisor’s office, fabrication area, 3D design lab, maker space, coordinator’s office, and student lounge area.
The Pennsylvania College of Technology, an affiliate of Pennsylvania State University, offers Penn College NOW, which provides the opportunity for qualified high school students to take Penn College courses, including many related to manufacturing, for both high school and college credit. The College of Technology also runs a Smart Girls program, which provides girls in grades 9 to 11 the opportunity to experience math and science as a foundation for careers in technology.
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology offers two-year associate degrees and nine-month certificates in technical education programs to academically qualified residents of Pennsylvania. The college is building the new Manufacturing Education Center to house machine tool and computer-aided manufacturing, metal fabrication and welding technology, HVAC, a new foundry program, and a community education center.
The college has also partnered with Pennsylvania industry to create the My Future Career interactive website, designed to bring awareness to middle and high school students and their parents about what careers in the manufacturing industry really look like. The college’s Women in Trades and Technology programs are designed to increase the engagement of current female students and reach out to prospective female students interested in non-traditional fields. In conjunction with the Lancaster County Chamber of Commerce, the college runs the Women in Business Mentor Program for high school female juniors from 11 school districts, providing career exploration and guidance.
So why am I on my soapbox? Truth is, if I don’t get up on my soapbox, there might not be any more soap or soapboxes produced — at least not in our country. Why should our industries outsource work, when the source of a talented labor force is right here?
Yes, I’m preaching to the choir. But our industry choir must be in unison on this issue. I don’t want to sing a solo. I know that, by working in harmony, we can produce the best results for the future of our industry.
Let me know what you’re doing in your communities or what other initiatives you’re aware of nationwide. It will be music to my ears.
Karen Norheim is executive vice president at American Crane. Contact her at karenn@americancrane.com. American Crane & Equipment Corporation (ACECO), founded in 1972, a privately held U.S. company with headquarters in Eastern Pennsylvania, is a leading manufacturer of cranes, hoists, and other material-handling equipment, as well as components and parts for standard, custom, and nuclear applications.
Viewpoint: How to Spark Interest in Manufacturing Among Our Youth - ThomasNet News (press release) (blog)
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