20 MiMfg Magazine December 2020
How Are Schools and Training Centers Cultivating New Talent for Manufacturing ?
For years , manufacturing has fought against an unfair stigma surrounding the skilled trades . For those educational , staffing and professional development institutions that supply the talent pipeline in Michigan , efforts are underway to attract new talent by educating both students and parents that modern manufacturing positions are well-paying , sustainable and technology-driven .
Keeping the younger generation interested in career pathways within manufacturing relies heavily on regional partnerships and innovative programming , according to Dr . Bill Pink , president of Grand Rapids Community College ( GRCC ).
“ Being in West Michigan , our work with manufacturing partners is vital ,” says Dr . Pink .
When the kids think about their parents being in manufacturing , they left home clean and they came home dirty . That ’ s the perception . We ’ re working with kids as young as middle school to educate them . When we bring them on campus , we take them to the machining lab and it ’ s as clean as any hospital .
— Dr . Bill Pink • Grand Rapids Community College
GRCC offers a wide variety of skilled trade and applied science programs and has the largest welding lab in the state . Their School of Workforce Development features a variety of disciplines within manufacturing and the applied technology fields including plastics-polymers engineering , welding technology , tooling and manufacturing technology , HVAC and industrial maintenance .
Dr . Pink says the college has helped create 16,000 non-credit apprenticeships among their 250 manufacturing partners in West Michigan alone .
“ When the kids think about their parents being in manufacturing , they left home clean and they came home dirty . That ’ s the perception ,” says Dr . Pink . “ We ’ re working with kids as young as middle school to educate them . When we bring them on campus , we take them to the machining lab and it ’ s as clean as any hospital .”
Starting that education and cultivation process at a younger age has been a key component for Jenny Geno , Executive Director of Career and Technical Education ( CTE ) at the Saginaw Intermediate
School District ( ISD ). Their CTE program is only a few years old but they have already seen a highly positive response from the community .
“ Our community really rallied in order to fill these talent gaps ,” says Geno . “ We ’ ve been having these talent conversations for a long time ; the parents and students showed up in droves . All of our local school districts signed on to be partners as well .”
Geno says they focus recruiting efforts on high school , and even middle school students , but they start the education process at elementary school .
“ In order to attract the younger generation , you really have to paint manufacturing as a career pathway and not just a job once you graduate high school ,” says Geno .
Saginaw ISD is one of twelve Michigan schools involved in PRIME ® ( Partnership Response In Manufacturing Education ) a partnership between the SME Education Foundation and MMA . The program provides custom training , equipment and curriculum for students and teachers and is directly advised by manufacturing companies and professionals in the field . The MMA began expanding PRIME ® in Michigan upon recognizing the staggering talent gap projected for statewide manufacturers . It ’ s estimated there will be some 2.5 million unfilled manufacturing positions by 2025 .
Gratiot-Isabella Regional Education Service District ( RESD ) is another PRIME ® school . Douglas Bush , Director of the Career and Technical Center , understands the necessity of those manufacturing partnerships . Gratiot-Isabella is based in Ithaca but serves nine districts and one charter school spread throughout central Michigan . By utilizing PRIME ® curriculum , they have been able to keep enrollment steady , thereby supporting the regional talent pipeline .
In order to attract the younger generation , you really have to paint manufacturing as a career pathway and not just a job once you graduate high school .
— Jenny Geno • Saginaw Intermediate School District
Through the PRIME ® partnership , they were able to acquire precision measurement carts built by Snap-on which are valued at $ 72,000 . Bush said the carts are used for technical training that can be