As the manufacturing industry faces labor shortages and skills gap issues, many employers are left wondering how they can attract younger talent. In the newest episode of the Gen Z in Manufacturing podcast, Jacob Sanchez, a 25-year-old employee for Industry Solutions and Community Development at igus Inc., discussed what keeps these companies from reaching the younger generation.
Sanchez's main critique focused on the industry's desire to portray manufacturing as a "polished" field.
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"At the end of the day, this is a business," Sanchez said. "We're making things. Things are going to be dirty. Not everything that goes on in our manufacturing processes are 100% perfect. If it [was], you wouldn't need solution finders and no parts would ever be rejected.
"I say that because these kids know what it's like to have problems and struggles. So why are we trying to pretend that it doesn't happen to us? I guarantee you they will respect our businesses a lot more when they understand the challenges that come with it. The challenges are what make it fun."
As a student, Sanchez was reluctantly placed in his high school's engineering and machine shop program. He recalled initially despising the class but grew fond of it during after-school sessions. The instructor, Stuart McConnachie, a former department lead at TITANS of CNC, began teaching Sanchez outside of class, which eventually led to him making his first ring on a manual lathe.
"That took over the rest of my life," Sanchez said. "I spent every break, every day, every morning in that class. There was this level of autonomy where I felt like I got to do whatever I wanted, but in a structured way. [McConnachie] would also support my failures. Whenever I failed, he didn't make me feel like a failure. I think that's a big thing in the learning process."
Sanchez is currently an industry awareness and next generation advocate for skilled trades and manufacturing. With 10-plus years of hands-on experience in manufacturing and automation sectors, he works to revolutionize how manufacturers showcase their companies to the world, and how to generate employee autonomy. He also hosts “HOW TO,” a metalworking series on YouTube.
In the episode, Sanchez also discusses:
- Where to find kids that are interested in manufacturing
- How kids who enjoy manufacturing are getting ignored
- Is it an exposure issue or bad companies driving away Gen Z
- How a company can get the most out of a career fair
- The difference between what a student needs and what they can get as they pursue manufacturing
- How to communicate with Gen Z through a trade show
To view previous episodes, visit manufacturing.net. Click here to subscribe to daily newsletters featuring breaking manufacturing industry news.
