Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/130708
E DU CATI On & T RAIN IN G important thing is to talk to the parents, because sometimes parents may not have an accurate view of manufacturing, at least not modern manufacturing," Kawleski says. "It is very high-tech, it is very computerized. I always talk about some people having the impression of manufacturing as all the bad 'D' words: It's dark, it's dangerous, it's dusty, it's a dead-end job, and none of those are true." GP is interested in boosting manufacturing interest among young people and has been a sponsor of Destination Imagination, a STEMrelated tournament, and the Einstein Science Project, which provides classroom science kits to students. But so far, company policy has kept K-12 students off the GP floor. "That's something we're working on, and it's a corporate policy, so we have that limitation that we need to work around," Kawleski says. "But we're discussing if we should really look at that, because there are some opportunities to give students that are younger than 18 a real-world look at manufacturing." Plexus, which is a high-tech manufacturer, has been able to do job shadowing with high school students, says Scott Kettler, plant manager of Plexus and vice chair of the Alliance. "I really think it is incumbent upon manufacturers to take initiative, because as we all look to our future and what we're going to be doing, we know the baby boomers are all starting their retirement or are in retirement," Kettler says. "As we look at our demographics, we know if we don't start now and start promoting manufacturing as a career, we're five to 10 years away from having severe labor shortages." Plexus, like Lindquist Machine, participates in the Second Chance Partnership for Education, an alternative high school program that allows students to attend classes at a APPS THAT CONNECT Your business at your fingertips! Windows 8 Windows Phone iPhone/iPad Android Mobile Web Responsive Web Design manufacturing plant and earn credit by working a few hours each day, gaining real-world experience. The company also brings in students for tours. Kettler talks not only about the technical knowledge needed but also the importance of soft skills, an oftenoverlooked aspect of working in a modern manufacturing facility, one of the reasons that interacting with leaders at manufacturing companies can help. Guest lecturing at schools is another great opportunity to provide that insight. "I think a lot of things that happen in the day-to-day life of a manufacturer could be broken down into a 30-minute lesson that they could then bring into the school," Peacock says. "You know our kids love their teachers, but when we bring in that guest that actually knows something a little bit different than the teacher might explain it or has some kind of hands-on experiment that they can do, that really makes a big difference for them." F Services that Measure Up Find out more at www.bxwi.com Fox Valley 920-687-8782 Milwaukee 414-763-1520 www.skylinetechnologies.com 920-437-1360 18 | / insight on manufacturing • May 2013 w w w.in s i g h t o n m f g .c o m