This coming week has something very exciting in store for students, parents, and teachers. Advanced Manufacturing Practices and Education Development (AMPED) is hosting a Virtual Manufacturing Career Summit May 12-14th. This Manufacturing Career Summit designed to help highlight all of the careers that manufacturing has to offer to students and parents. This is also an opportunity to help educate parents and teachers that jobs in manufacturing lead to a successful future. The summit is run by industry leaders and will feature many different sessions and show the diversity of manufacturing. They will be exposed to general sessions to get a feel of what manufacturing is in general and what it has to offer. Then from there they have breakout sessions to show the diversity and the different sectors of manufacturing, such as medical instrument, aerospace, electronics, robotics, and more.
Participants will have the opportunity to participate in a Q&A with “real-time” men and women currently working in the industry. Students and parents will be exposed to an interactive virtual exhibit hall. In this hall they will learn about all of the post high school education in manufacturing options. They have a video gallery virtual experience as well as a teacher resource room. This is a way to help teachers connect students with opportunities in manufacturing.
Getting the youth of America interested in manufacturing is crucial to filling the workforce as the Baby Boomer generation continues to exit. This is due to the push that the millennial generation had to go to college. This has a lot to do with their parents’ perception of the manufacturing industry. Many parents viewed manufacturing as unstable due to a multitude of companies outsourcing jobs to other countries, as well as limited career paths. According to The Manufacturing Institute, only one in three parents would encourage their children to pursue a career in manufacturing.
The goal of these summits is to convince parents to have a different mindset and consider manufacturing as a viable option for their children to lead successful lives. Events like these not only help parents see the benefits of manufacturing but they also help the schools to get on board and present manufacturing as a viable option to their students. It’s no secret that for the past couple of decades high schools have been pushing students into college even if it’s not the right fit for them.
The next generation coming into the work force, Gen Z, will challenge this college model. However, they have seen the effects and the aftermath of the debt that Millennials have incurred. Many don’t consider college a top priority and are looking into trade schools or becoming entrepreneurs. Manufacturing Career Summits like AMPED have the opportunity to present these students with another viable option for their future. These summits are going to break the mold and truly show these students all manufacturing has to offer. According to an IndustryWeek article titled “Why Manufacturing’s Not Cool,” teens today are looking to find a job that gives them purpose and helps fuel a passion. They aren’t as driven by financial security. They’re looking for a more creative outlet when it comes to a job.
The problem is, according to IndustryWeek, teens view manufacturing as “thoughtless work on an assembly line” and “stagnant with no room for creativity or individuality.” This couldn’t be farther from the truth and summits have the chance to show these prospective students the innovation and creativity that goes into manufacturing. Summits can showcase the innovation and creativity that goes into creating the diverse machines used in manufacturing.
Summits like these are integral in encouraging the youth of today and showing them the world of manufacturing. Not only does this benefit the manufacturing industry, but it also opens up doors for teenagers to have successful, happy lives that otherwise may not have been possible.
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